skip to main content

HCPSS / POLICIES

Policy 3010 – Emergency Preparedness and Response

The purpose of this policy is to define the process and establish criteria by which HCPSS prepares for and responds to incidents that threaten the safety or health of students and employees or are disruptive to the operation of a school, multiple schools, or HCPSS.

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Policy Value Statement

The Board of Education of Howard County (Board) recognizes that there will be occasions when it is necessary to respond to emergency incidents that threaten the safety or health of Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) students and employees or are disruptive to the operation of HCPSS schools and facilities. Advanced preparation and planning minimize risks inherent in any emergency. In certain instances, it may be necessary to take protective action, which may include closing a school, multiple schools, or the entire school system as a safety or health measure. It is the intent of the Board to resume all normal operations, including instruction, as soon as feasible following an emergency.

II. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the process and establish criteria by which HCPSS prepares for and responds to incidents that threaten the safety or health of students and employees or are disruptive to the operation of a school, multiple schools, or HCPSS.

III. Standards

  1. Preparedness

    1. Emergency Plan Development

      1. HCPSS will have an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for each school and non-school facility. These will be developed in consultation with other health and safety officials within the community. HCPSS will maintain three (3) separate emergency plans:

        1. System-level plan – Provides guidance for managing an incident that affects multiple schools or the entire district.

        2. School-specific plan – Provides guidance for managing an incident at a school.

        3. Non-school facility plan – Provides guidance for managing an incident at a non-school facility.

      2. Copies of each EOP are kept at the school or non-school facility and electronically in the Office of Safety and Security.

      3. All EOPs will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and provide for people with access and functional needs.

      4. All HCPSS EOPs will align with the Howard County Government EOP.

    2. HCPSS will have a recovery plan that addresses immediate, short-term, and long-term recovery processes for the school system. HCPSS will have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that provides guidance and processes for immediate recovery after an incident.

    3. HCPSS employees will receive annual emergency training commensurate with their level of responsibility under their EOPs.

    4. The Director of Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response will be designated as the HCPSS Incident Commander.

    5. A school-based administrator will develop a plan to address the social-emotional needs of HCPSS students and employees that result from an emergency or crisis.

  2. Response

    1. In times of emergency, the priority of HCPSS will be the safety of all students, employees, and other individuals in a school system building, on school system property, or during a school-sponsored event.

    2. HCPSS will have three (3) emergency activation levels (Level I, II, and III) for all HCPSS EOPs.

    3. HCPSS will retain independent authority and responsibility to manage school emergencies using its own emergency operation plans (HCPSS EOPs), independent of Howard County Government emergency operations plans (EOPs), while coordinating as needed.

    4. HCPSS will participate with the Howard County Government Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when the nature, scope, or complexity of an incident warrants county coordination, consistent with the county’s EOC activation decision.

    5. Emergency release procedures will be utilized as appropriate in a response.

    6. Emergency communications to HCPSS employees, parents, and the community will be coordinated through the HCPSS Emergency Operations Center, in accordance with the system’s EOPs.

    7. School or building administration will be designated as Incident Commander and will work jointly within the command system established by first responders and, when appropriate, HCPSS command staff for the school system under a unified command process. At a non-school facility, the designated senior leader on site will be the Incident Commander.

  3. Recovery

    1. When students have been evacuated to an off-site facility, HCPSS employees will follow the HCPSS Family Reunification Plan to ensure students are reunited with their parents as soon as it can be safely accomplished.

    2. In accordance with the Crisis Intervention Resource Manual, the school system will provide psychological support services for immediate, short-term, and long-term recovery.

    3. If the incident or emergency results in an extended individual school closure or system closure, the Superintendent will determine the method to either provide additional instructional days consistent with the State policy or seek a waiver of the 180-day requirement from the State Superintendent of Schools in accordance with established procedures.

  4. Continuity of Operations

    The COOP will be used to ensure continuation of essential system operations in emergencies that require long term recovery.

  5. Weather-Related Emergency Preparedness and Response

    1. The Superintendent/designee will develop a procedure and criteria used to make decisions to dismiss early, close, or delay the opening of a school, schools, or the school system.

    2. At times when inclement weather threatens the safety of HCPSS students and employees, the Superintendent/designee may dismiss early, close, or delay the opening of a school, schools or the school system.

IV. Responsibilities

  1. The Superintendent/designee will ensure that the EOPs and Continuity of Operations Plans are developed and implemented. The Superintendent/designee will provide appropriate training for HCPSS employees at each school and non-school facility and will annually access the EOPs to monitor effectiveness.

  2. The Superintendent/designee will assess conditions in certain weather-related incidents and make recommendations to the Superintendent on emergency closures due to inclement weather based on the transportation functional annex of the HCPSS System-level EOP.

  3. The Superintendent/designee will establish the procedures for the dissemination of school closing and other emergency announcements and ensure that parents and HCPSS employees are informed of emergency communication procedures at the start of each school year.

    1. Initial communication with staff, including Cabinet, the Board of Education, and staff affected by or involved in the crisis, should occur as soon as appropriate based on the situation.

    2. Initial communication with the staff, families, and community leaders affected by the crisis should occur as soon as possible.

  4. The Superintendent/designee will authorize a single school, multiple schools, or system-wide closure when emergency conditions warrant and will consult with or provide notification to the Board as appropriate.

  5. The Superintendent/designee will ensure the continuity of operations and the coordination of recovery efforts in the event of an extended emergency based on the COOP and the Recovery Plan.

  6. In the event of an early dismissal of middle school and high school students, the school-based administrator will ensure that all students are released in accordance with established school dismissal procedures. Elementary students will be released in accordance with instructions provided annually by parents on the emergency procedures form.

  7. The Superintendent/designee will activate the cluster Crisis Intervention Team when needed to help support HCPSS students, employees, and school communities following a crisis.

  8. HCPSS employees who supervise a school-sponsored afterschool, evening, weekend, or off-campus event or activity will ensure the safety of all participants, and will coordinate the immediate emergency response for HCPSS until relieved of coordinating the immediate emergency response or until the incident is resolved.

V. Delegation of Authority

The Superintendent is authorized to develop appropriate procedures for the implementation of this policy within the limits set forth by the policy.

VI. Definitions

Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply:

  1. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) – Procedures to ensure that the capability exists to continue essential functions during and after an extended emergency.

  2. Crisis – A traumatic event involving a HCPSS student or employee that interrupts the normal day-to-day functioning of a school.

  3. Crisis Intervention Team – A team of individuals trained to provide immediate and long-term consultation and direct support to school communities following a crisis. The two crisis intervention team levels include:

    1. System-Level – A system-wide team of individuals trained to provide immediate crisis support as well as providing coordination of support professionals needed to support long-term recovery to students and employees.

    2. School/Facility-Level – A building team trained in immediate crisis response for students and employees after an incident.

  4. Emergency – A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous incident that has the potential to disrupt operations within the school system and which requires immediate response to protect students, employees, visitors, the school system, or property. Emergency levels include:

    1. Level I Emergency – An emergency isolated to a HCPSS school or facility.

    2. Level II Emergency – An emergency that has a limited system-wide impact. These emergencies would most likely affect several schools within the system.

    3. Level III Emergency – An emergency that has a system-wide impact. These emergencies can affect all HCPSS schools and facilities in the system, or occur at an individual school, facility or multiple schools or facilities but affect the entire system.

  5. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – A location for centralized policy direction and control of emergencies. The EOC locations include:

    1. Howard County Government EOC – Located within the Howard County Office of Emergency Management.

    2. Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) EOC – Located within the Department of Education.

  6. Emergency Release Procedures – The steps utilized following an emergency/pre-emergency when a school needs to release students to parents in a manner different from a normal release of students.

  7. Family Reunification Plan – A process to re-establish contact between students and parents after an incident.

  8. First Responder – A member of local, state, or federal law enforcement and/or the fire and rescue department.

  9. Functional Annex – Chapters within the HCPSS System-Level Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that includes a description of a “function”, when to use a “function”, and the proper procedures required.

  10. HCPSS Command Staff – Individuals assigned to manage the HCPSS EOC during a level II or level III emergency. The command staff includes, but is not limited to, the Incident Commander, Safety Officer, Superintendent’s Cabinet, and Division Chiefs.

  11. HCPSS System-Level Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – A multi-hazard approach for the school system to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the people, property, and operations of the school system.

  12. HCPSS Employee – Any individual who is a permanent or temporary employee of the HCPSS whose compensation is paid in whole or part by the Board, including but not limited to, school-based administrators, teachers, substitute teachers, paraeducators, and other school-based and Central Office support staff.

  13. Howard County Government Emergency Operations Plan – A comprehensive emergency management plan incorporating all aspects of pre-emergency preparedness and post-emergency response, recovery, and mitigation.

  14. Incident Commander – The individual who provides command, control & direction of response during an emergency.

  15. Non-School Facility – A location owned, leased, or operated by the Howard County Public School System that is not a designated school building and is primarily used for administrative, operational, maintenance, storage, transportation, or support functions. Non-School Facilities include, but are not limited to, administrative offices, maintenance complexes, food service centers, and transportation facilities. Each Non-School Facility shall maintain an Emergency Operations Plan appropriate to its operations and staff.

  16. Non-School Facility Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – An emergency operations plan created specifically for non-school facilities within the school system that addresses the roles of non-school based employees in handling all levels of emergencies.

  17. Parent – Any one of the following, recognized as the adult(s) legally responsible for the student:

    1. Biological Parent – A natural parent whose parental rights have not been terminated.

    2. Adoptive Parent – A person who has legally adopted the student and whose parental rights have not been terminated.

    3. Custodian – A person or an agency appointed by the court as the legal custodian of the student and granted parental rights and responsibilities.

    4. Guardian – A person who has been placed by the court in charge of the affairs of the student and granted parental rights and responsibilities.

    5. Caregiver – An adult resident of Howard County who exercises care, custody, or control over the student but who is neither the biological parent nor legal guardian as long as the person satisfies the requirements of the Education Article, §7-101(c) (Informal Kinship Care) or has been issued a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Verification of Release form entering into a custodial arrangement with the federal government.

    6. Foster Parent – An adult approved to care for a child who has been placed in their home by a State agency or a licensed child placement agency as provided by the Family Law Article, §5-507.

  18. People with Access and Functional Needs – A function-based term for “special needs populations” as provided by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). It reflects a need rather than a condition, diagnosis, or label. Individuals may have additional needs before, during and after an incident in functional areas.

  19. Protective Action – A specific, pre-defined response used in emergency incidents to ensure the safety and well-being of those involved, such as school closing, closing of a support facility, or emergency procedures, such as, lockdown, modified lockdown, sheltering in place, evacuation, etc.

  20. School Specific Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – An emergency operations plan created specifically for individual schools within the school system that addresses the roles of school-based employees and administrators in handling all levels of emergencies.

  21. School-Sponsored Event – An activity, event, or meeting developed or organized by the HCPSS, with the knowledge and approval of the associated school principal, that is under the direction and control of an authorized HCPSS employee working within the scope of one’s duties, where the HCPSS assumes full responsibility and liability for the program, event, or action. An activity, event, or meeting developed or organized by the HCPSS, with the knowledge and approval of the associated school principal, that is under the direction and control of an authorized HCPSS employee working within the scope of one’s duties, where the HCPSS assumes full responsibility and liability for the program, event, or action.

  22. School System Property – Any property owned or leased by the HCPSS including vehicles. The concept of property extends to school activities such as field trips, use of parks and recreation facilities, proms at hotels, etc. School buses, school bus stops, and facilities scheduled by the school system for student use are considered an extension of school property.

  23. Unified Command – A process by which all levels of emergency responders work together to respond to the disaster or incident. School administrators, school district personnel, and first responders coordinate emergency response efforts and report to one Incident Commander.

VII. References

A. Legal

  • Md. Ann. Code, Education Article, §§4-205, 6-401(d), 6-501(f), 7-103, 9-104, Title 9

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400-1487

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 794

B. Board Policies

C. Relevant Data Sources

D. Other

  • Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

  • Crisis Intervention Resource Manual

  • HCPSS Non-School Facility Emergency Operations Plans

  • HCPSS System-Level Emergency Operations Plan

  • HCPSS School-Specific Emergency Operations Plans

  • Howard County Government Emergency Operations Plan

VIII. History

ADOPTED: January 5, 1971

REVIEWED: December 13, 2024

MODIFIED:

REVISED:

  • August 24, 1989

  • January 13, 2005

  • April 12, 2012

  • March 14, 2019

  • April 30, 2026

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2026

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.