Crisis Scenario Protocol Development, Coursework Example

It is important for administrators and faculty to be able to deal with a crisis situation in their official capacity. One method is to analyze case studies and formulate a method of action that is consistent with aims and goals of the organization(Safety and Security, 2011). Here, a plan is present to attend to a crisis scenario.

The Scenario Is Summarized Below                                                                                               

An intruder has been sighted in your building in the evening hours. He has stolen radios, purses, and computers. He has also spoken with custodians and has a “story” about why he’s in the building.

An analysis of this scenario will assist us in formulating a standard operating procedure policy to tend to it. Our primary purpose is to keep people and property safe. There is more than one way we could address this situation to meet the requirements of that duty. A few possibilities are enumerated here. We could outsource a security agent to combat the perpetrator. We could secure the entire building – lock and key. We could simply call in an emergency to the authorities any time we see a stranger in the halls. The point is there are a number of actions we could take. Some may seem extreme, but in the order of risk management, they could be implemented based on two factors, the severity of the situation and the effectiveness of the action. In any event, we do not want to make matters worse. The perpetrator could become aggressive or simply slip away before we are able to address the matter in a way that stops the behaviors.

What follows is an immediate response guide to be performed in the event of the crisis summarized above. Anyone encountering one such individual should follow these steps(Trump, 2010).

1. Do not engage the individual.
2. If possible, observe the individual to see if he or she is the person committing the offenses.
3. Alert a fellow staff member to assist in observation or alert administrator to call the authorities.
4. Don’t lose track of the intruder.
5. Note the location where the individual was last seen.
6. Try to figure out which entrances or exits they are using.
7. Fill out an incident report.

Nevertheless, there should be mitigating factors to the alert the police especially. If the individual is seen leaving the premises, it might be a waste of time to call in an emergency. Furthermore, the individual has not been shown to be violent, and people usually do not steal unless they really need it. So, although we are not excusing the behavior, we are noting the human element.  Plus, we do not want to become hyper vigilant to the point of imagining every individual we see alone in the halls is the perpetrator. In essence, we need a solid description of the individual perpetrator to follow the intervention to its logical conclusion of alerting the authorities.

Nevertheless, in order to make sure whatever is done is consistent with district policies and procedures we must consult the books. As we ask parents to be prepared in the event of a crisis, so too should we be prepared for particular types of incidents that are not an immediate threat to the safety of the students but constitutes an unnecessary burden on the learning environment (Crisis Preparedness Handbook, 2011). From the crisis management phase to the official procedural investigation, a recommended comprehensive plan for future is outlined and explained.

1. Get a description of the perpetrator. In the current scenario, this means asking the janitor what the intruder looks like.
2. Alert all staff and students to the situation as well as the intruder’s description. Letting people know what is going on and how to act is important to meeting the goals of this policy.
3. Educate staff and students as to the proper protocol upon encountering the intruder. Letting people know what to do will help bring a swift resolution to the problem.

Getting people involved and letting them in on the right thing to do in this particular situation helps us formulate a plan of action for similar such incidents. The aim of this study was to take a hypothetical scenario and formulate a method by which we could mitigate the immediate problem and develop a protocol as a general guide while considering the ideals and policies of the organization.

It is important for administrators and faculty learns to handle crisis situations within their official capacity. One method to train them to do so is to have them analyze case studies and formulate a method of action that is consistent with aims and goals of the organization. One such plan has been presented here in response to a hypothetical crisis situation.

References

Henrico County Public Schools. (2011). Crisis Preparedness Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/Pdf/SafetySecurity/CrisisPreparednessHandbook.pdf

Henrico County Public Schools. (2011). Safety and Security. Retrieved from http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/SafetySecurity/index.html

Trump. K. (2010). A Stranger is in Your School: Does Anyone Know What to Do? Retrieved from http://www.schoolsecurityblog.com/2010/02/a-stranger-is-in-your-school-does-anyone-know-what-to-do/