3 Steps to Creating a Family Reunification Plan

Having a plan will improve cooperation with parents and help first responders.

August 28, 2013 Chris Dorn

3 Steps to Creating a Family Reunification Plan

During an emergency, an average of two to three adults may come to the school for each student. Photo by Rachel Wilson, Safe Havens International

Any time a crisis occurs at school, you should be prepared for the possibility of an off-site evacuation. This might occur because it is safer to evacuate to a remote site or will be easier to reunite students and parents at another location.
Remember that some parents may have children in multiple classes, grade levels, schools, etc. Make plans for these parents in your reunification process so that they are not exposed to the additional stress of trying to be in two or more places at once because they are expected to retrieve students from multiple locations.
Identifying the appropriate site is crucial to the success of the Family Reunification Plan. Remember, the site must be able to accommodate large groups of people. The location chosen for reunification should typically not be another school, since this may cause confusion and concern in parents from both schools instead of one.
In general, you should not publicize the location of the reunification site beforehand. While planning teams and staff members should be aware of this information, do not share these locations with the general public because this can increase the risk that an attacker plans a secondary attack for this location or places an explosive device there.
Look for ways to increase the chances that parents will receive notification that reunification is taking place. Use your school’s emergency notification system for parents, calling trees for staff if necessary, or whatever methods work best for your organization. Some schools have come up with creative ways to share information with staff and parents. The main thing to remember is that whatever system you come up with should be thoroughly tested with a progressive drill and exercise program.
Include the media in your pre-planning efforts. Include them in the conversation so they understand their role in the process and they can be prepared to help spread the message during a crisis. The media can be turned into a powerful asset during a family reunification process if they are given prepared messages and a general idea of how the process works beforehand.
Include considerations for the parents, staff and first responders who may be at the reunification site for a prolonged period of time. Examples of physical resources that are beneficial include tables, tents, paperwork and checklists for teams that will staff the site, chairs or benches for parents and students, bottled water, snacks, medical triage locations, etc.
Remember to account for short term special needs individuals, such as a student who normally has full mobility but has a broken leg or a cast on their arm. Someone who has little difficulty in a day-to-day environment may have particular difficulties in responding to a crisis due to the increased level of stress and physical activity required during an emergency situation. Account for language barriers as well. Consider the need for translators and other communications or medical assistance at the reunification site.
Don’t forget to provide close supervision for students during staging, transport and upon arrival at the family reunification site. Students have often become separated during evacuations relating to major crises, and sexual predators, non-custodial parents and other unscrupulous individuals have been known to arrive at school crisis scenes. Be especially aware of the movement of vehicles in proximity to students during this process. Staff and students could become injured during the chaos of a crisis.

In any emergency, the mental health of students and parents involved can be impacted by the success of family reunification. It is very easy for a relatively minor incident to turn into a major crisis simply because the reunification process takes so long. In addition, a prolonged reunification process increases the duration of the incident as a whole and allows more time for media personnel to arrive on the scene and create more of a disruption.

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A noted authority on school family reunification, Dr. Sonayia Shepherd (Sony) has authored and co-authored 16 books on school and childcare safety and emergency management. She has worked directly with hundreds of schools and childcare organizations across the nation and provided crisis response and recovery support following many school emergencies and major disasters around the world.

Chris Dorn has co-authored five books on school safety and worked with schools and stakeholder organizations in more than 30 states. He leads the Safe Havens International video production unit and has produced or assisted with hundreds of school safety training videos including The First 30 Seconds: School Crisis Scenarios.

Their latest book, Staying Alive: How To Act Fast and Survive Deadly Encounters, is coming this spring.

Photo by Rachel Wilson, Safe Havens International

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