Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3301 - Department of Education - Administration and Director
Chapter 3301-5 - Emergency Management Plan
Section 3301-5-01 - Requirements for the emergency management plan and test

Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 3301-5-01

Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024

The purpose of this rule is to define the requirements, content, and format of emergency management plan and the emergency management test as required by section 3313.536 of the Revised Code.

(A) The emergency management plan and information required pursuant to division (B) of section 3313.536 of the Revised Code shall be submitted on standardized forms developed and made available by the department of education. Each comprehensive emergency management plan shall consist of four parts, including:

(1) The emergency operations plan shall consist of a single document to address all-hazards that may negatively impact the school; including but not limited to active shooter, hostage, bomb threat, act of terrorism, bullying, and any other natural or manmade events that the administrator knew or should have reasonably known about that compromise the health or safety of students, employees, administrators, or property. A hazard identification and risk analysis shall be included.
(a) The plan shall be an all-hazards emergency operations plan organized around five mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. The plan shall be compliant with the "National Incident Management System" (NIMS);

(b) The plan shall incorporate the access and functional needs of the students, teachers, and staff;

(c) The plan shall incorporate education for students, staff, and administrators to avoid, deter, or stop an imminent crime or safety issue, threatened or actual;

(d) The plan may include use of temporary door locking devices, when approved by the building official and noted on the certificate of occupancy only in school buildings where the requirements of section 1008.1.9.11 of the NIMS are met and as outlined in rule 4101:1-10-01 of the Administrative Code;

(e) The plan shall be updated and revised at least every three years from the previous date of compliance to reflect lessons learned and best practices to continually improve the plan. The emergency management test and actual emergencies at the school buildings will be a source for lessons learned; and

(f) The plan shall include procedures for notifying law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, mental health, and other outside experts who could assist in responding to and recovering from an emergency.

(2) A floor plan that is unique to each floor of the building;

(3) A site-plan that includes all building property and surrounding property; and

(4) An emergency contact information sheet.

(B) Prior to the opening day of each school year, the administrator shall inform each student enrolled in the school and the student's parent or legal guardian of the parental notification procedures included in the plan. Any student and their parent or legal guardian enrolled in the school after the annual notification, shall be notified upon enrollment.

(C) Stakeholder community engagement

(1) In developing the emergency management plan for each building, the administrator shall involve the following stakeholders:
(a) Community law enforcement and safety officials (including, but not limited to, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical personnel, and any local divisions having county-wide emergency management);

(b) Parents or legal guardians of students who are assigned to the building;

(c) Teachers who are assigned to the building; and

(d) Non-teaching employees who are assigned to the building.

(2) The emergency management plan shall contain the name, title (if applicable), contact information, and signature of each stakeholder as identified in paragraph (C) (1) of this rule.

(D) The information on the emergency management test pursuant to division (E)(1) of section 3313.536 of the Revised Code shall be submitted on standardized forms developed and made available by the department of education.

(1) Administrators shall prepare and conduct at least one annual emergency management test as defined in division (A)(2) of section 3313.536 of the Revised Code. Emergency management tests must meet the following requirements:
(a) Be a scheduled event; no actual emergency shall constitute a test, even if an after action report is produced;

(b) The type of test shall be a tabletop, functional, or full-scale, each type being used once every three years;

(c) The test shall include at least one hazard from the hazard analysis, as required in paragraph (A)(1) of this rule;

(d) The test shall include at least one functional content area; and

(e) The test should include at least one representative from law enforcement, fire, EMA, EMS, and/or behavioral health.

(2) Student participation in the emergency management test is not mandatory. Emergency management tests with student inclusion shall be at the discretion of the building administrator. Administrators should consider what benefit student inclusion in the emergency management test may have on the student population in preparation for an emergency and to enhance the safety of students in the building. Schools should obtain parental consent if students are to be included in the emergency management test. Schools should also consider age appropriate participation, guidance, and training in preparation for participation in the test.

(3) Administrators shall submit an after action report to the Ohio department of education no later than thirty days after the exercise documenting the following:
(a) Date/time/weather/length/ of exercise;

(b) Identify discussion/operations based exercise;

(c) Scenario utilized;

(d) Hazard(s) utilized; safety data sheets, as appropriate, shall be provided;

(e) Functional content area(s) utilized; and

(f) Identify at least three strengths and at least three improvement areas of the Plan discovered as a result of the emergency management test.

(E) Definitions

(1) "Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis" - Process to identify hazards and assess the vulnerability associated with each.

(2) "Full-Scale Exercise"- FSEs are typically the most complex and resource- intensive type of exercise. They involve multiple agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions and validate many facets of preparedness. FSEs often include many players operating under cooperative systems such as the "Incident Command System or Unified Command".

(3) "Functional Content Area" - A section in the sample plan, these are procedures and protocols used to respond to a variety of hazards.

(4) "Functional Exercise" - Functional exercises are designed to validate and evaluate capabilities, multiple functions and/or sub-functions, or interdependent groups of functions. FEs are typically focused on exercising plans, policies, procedures, and staff members involved in management, direction, command, and control functions. In FEs, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity at the management level. An FE is conducted in a realistic, real-time environment; however, movement of personnel and equipment is usually simulated.

(5) "Tabletop Exercise"- A TTX is typically held in an informal setting intended to generate discussion of various issues regarding a hypothetical, simulated emergency. TTXs can be used to enhance general awareness, validate plans and procedures, rehearse concepts, and/or assess the types of systems needed to guide the prevention of, protection from, mitigation of, response to, and recovery from a defined incident. Generally, TTXs are aimed at facilitating conceptual understanding, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and/or achieving changes in attitudes.

(F) It is recommended that this rule be reviewed every three years, rather than the specified five.

Replaces: part of 3301-5-01

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