With over 50 million students enrolled in preK through grade 12 across the US, on campus each day for upwards of 6-7 hours (source: Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics) it's obvious how vital it is for families, faculty, and communities to prepare their schools.
Prepare Your school in 3 easy steps:
Ready.gov and other government agencies have general lists of supplies each school should have. Below is a checklist compiled from the recommendations of multiple agencies and preparedness institutions, you can also download this checklist as a free PDF.
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Clipboard with: List of classroom students (and photo). List of students with special needs and description of needs (i.e. medical issues, prescription medicines, dietary needs), marked confidential |
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List of emergency procedures |
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First aid supplies |
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First aid instruction manual |
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Medical gloves |
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Food |
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Water |
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Battery-powered flashlight |
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Batteries |
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Blankets |
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Sanitary items (towelettes & toilet paper) |
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Work gloves |
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Breathing masks |
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Fire extinguishers |
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Student activities |
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Plastic sheeting |
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Duct tape |
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Whistle & hat(or other identifier) for teacher |
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Hand Sanitizer |
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Communication devices (two-way radios, satellite radios, cell phones, chargers and weather radio) |
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Bucket |
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Can opener |
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Plastic bags (garbage bags, plastic liners etc.) |
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Portable Toilet Sets |
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Work Gloves |
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According to the recommendation of Ready.gov all classrooms should have a “go kit” in the event of an emergency evacuation. Supplies to consider packing in a Go Kit are: |
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Clipboard with: List of classroom students. List of students with special needs and description of needs |
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List of school emergency procedures |
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First aid kit with instructions |
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Student activities (such as playingcards, checkers, inflatable ball) |
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Sturdy Shoes |
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Work Gloves |
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Garden Hose |
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Knife |
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Fire Extinguisher |
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Ax |
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Shovel |
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Tools; i.e. screwdriver, pliers, hammer, adjustable wrench |
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Strong Rope |
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Whistle / Emergency Signaling Device |
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Hard Hat |
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N95 Mask |
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Safety Goggles |
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Wall Fasteners |
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Carbon Monoxide Detector |
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Tool to shut off utilities (not all houses will need this) |
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Sturdy Shoes |
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Work Gloves |
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Rubber Gloves |
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Sand Bags |
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Storm Shutters / Wood, Nails, and a Hammer |
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Rain Gear |
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Towels |
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Weather Band Radio |
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Fire Extinguisher |
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Power Generator |
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Insect Repellant |
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Whistle / Emergency Signaling Device |
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Wall Fasteners |
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Carbon Monoxide Detector |
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Tool to shut off utilities (not all houses will need this) |
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Sturdy Shoes |
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Wood, Nails, and a Hammer / Storm Shutters |
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Weather Band Radio |
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Wall Fasteners |
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Whistle / Emergency Signaling Device |
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Carbon Monoxide Detector |
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Tool to shut off utilities (not all houses will need this) |
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Sturdy Shoes |
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N95 Mask |
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Tool to shut off utilities (not all houses will need this) |
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Ice Scraper |
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Shovel |
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Tire Chains |
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Tow Rope |
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Kitty Litter or Sand |
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Jumper Cables |
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Whistle / Emergency Signaling Device |
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Waterproof Matches |
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Winter Clothes |
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Carbon Monoxide Detector |
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Tool to shut off utilities (not all houses will need this) |
While government agencies advise schools to have a number of preparedness supplies, they strongly recommend each classroom at the very least have a “Go Kit”. Start by using the checklist above to build a Go Kit for every classroom, and then build your schools supply from there.
Your school should already have an emergency plan, but if not it is imperative that one is created. FEMA has a guide, “Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plan” available for free on their website, if your school does not have an existing plan you can use this as a starting point.
