Narrowing the Gap: Before, During, and After a Crisis

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Description:

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety is pleased to announce an eight-part webinar series designed to narrow the gaps in understanding of school emergency planning. Over the course of the series, participants will be provided information on how to plan for, respond to, and recover from a school-based crisis event. Participants can register for sessions a la carte based on their role within the crisis management planning phases. 

Who Should Attend:

This training is offered to individuals currently serving on a division- or school-level crisis management team, directors of school safety and security, those charged with implementing school safety programs, and first responder partners. 

Topics to Be Addressed:

• Session 1 - BEFORE: Key Elements of Planning for the Worst and Hoping for the Best Before, During, and After a Crisis (March 19, 2025 and repeated September 15, 2025)

The more comprehensively we plan for what can go wrong, the better we can mitigate the effects and the better the response and recovery phases will go. This session will discuss events that are traditionally considered to be a crisis in a school setting using an all-hazards approach. Participants will learn about planning considerations for man-made vs. natural events that can create a school crisis, as well as emerging trends in school crisis planning and response.

• Session 2 - BEFORE: Virginia Legislation and School Safety (March 20, 2025 and repeated September 16, 2025)

This session will discuss the various areas of crisis management mandated by the Code of Virginia, the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), and the Virginia Administrative Code. Participants will also learn how all required documents will assist in creating a robust Crisis Management Plan (CMP). 

• Session 3 - BEFORE: Maximizing the Effectiveness of Your Crisis Plans (March 26, 2025 and repeated September 17, 2025)

This session will introduce participants to current best practices that may be beneficial in supporting a safe school environment. Topics will cover the Standard Response Protocol/Standard Reunification Method, conducting school drills with a purpose, seeking interaction and feedback from staff and students, and including first responders in conducting school-based drills. This session will also guide crisis planning for individuals with special needs. This session will introduce participants to the current DCJS CMP Template and how it can be adapted to fit their school’s needs. Participants will also get an overview of the additional resources available to support the implementation of the CMP template while educating staff, students, and parents.

• Session 4 - BEFORE: Importance of (and Requirements for) Law Enforcement in School Safety (March 27, 2025 and repeated September 18, 2025)

Law enforcement is a necessary partner in school safety, and School Resource Officers (SROs) are valuable, necessary, and required members of a school’s crisis management team. There is legislation requiring law enforcement participation in crisis planning and threat assessment teams. This session will include a discussion of how best to support participation of SROs and law enforcement during crisis planning and threat assessments. 

• Session 5 - BEFORE: A DCJS Age-Appropriate Critical Incident Response Curriculum and Civilian Active Attack Programming Overview (April 2, 2025 and repeated September 22, 2025) 

In 2024, Virginia became the second state in the nation to offer an age- and audience-appropriate critical incident response curriculum for Pre-K to high school students, parents, support staff, and administrators. This curriculum provides a gateway to the civilian and law enforcement courses offered by the DCJS Active Attack Program. Participants will receive an overview of current training options for civilians (teachers and staff) and first responders. This session will also give an overview of how the courses are selected and developed using data-driven information and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) guidelines around armed assailant drills.

• Session 6 - DURING: Activating the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) at the Onset of an Emergency (April 3, 2025 and repeated September 23, 2025) 

This scenario-based session will begin in the “during” phase of a crisis and will be a guided walkthrough of an event at a school. Questions will be presented to participants to assist in developing critical thinking and situational awareness needed to work through a crisis. This session will highlight resources and concepts previously discussed in this webinar series.

• Session 7 - AFTER:  Activating the Standard Reunification Method (SRM) (April 9, 2025 and repeated September 24, 2025) 

This scenario-based session will shift from the “during” phase to the “after” phase of a crisis. This session will provide the participant with resources and considerations when planning for an on-site and off-site reunification.

• Session 8 - AFTER: Recovery Considerations and Maximizing Available Resources (April 10, 2025 and repeated September 25, 2025) 

Per the Code of Virginia § 22.1-279.8, Virginia public school division crisis and emergency response plans must include a provision that the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Virginia Victims Fund (VVF), (previously called Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund ) shall be contacted immediately to deploy assistance in the event of an emergency as defined in the emergency response plan when there are victims as defined in the Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.01. The Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Team (VCART) program provides a victim-centered response that is coordinated by DCJS to assist victims following criminal events. This session will provide an overview of the Family Assistance Center Plan developed by school boards, institutions of higher education, the Virginia Board of Health, the State EMS Advisory Board, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and political subdivisions. 

Partial In-Service Credit:

PIC is not offered for virtual training.

Cost and Registration:

Course materials will be provided via an electronic link emailed before the training. Pre-registration is required.

Please note that the DCJS registration system cannot sort eligible from ineligible registrants. Therefore, anyone who registers will receive a confirmation. The DCJS-assigned course director is responsible for reviewing the roster and making a final determination on acceptance into the course. Registrants not accepted will be notified via the email address provided during registration.

There is no cost to attend, and sessions are available a la carte; however, a Benchmark account and pre-registration are required. Each session will be held virtually via ZOOM from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. EST.

You can also access the entire program in Benchmark by clicking the Registration button below.