Update 14Nov2017: to make access even easier, we now have a special category School Safety and Emergency Kits.
We often answer questions about how exactly our School Emergency Kits (S221 and S220) match up with official requirements, especially following our launch of the UK’s first School Resilience Package*. To make it easy, below is a factual comparison.
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— EVAQ8 Emergency Kits (@EVAQ8_news) November 15, 2017
School Emergency Grab Bags / School Emergency Kits: what does the official UK guidance say and how does this compare to EVAQ8 School Emergency Kits?
- UK Schools are mandated to produce robust Emergency and Business Continuity Plans (SFVS 2015)
- An integral part of robust plans is to have the right practical resources in place; i.e. NaCTSO “Grab Bags’ should be available in key locations, which contain essential equipment and information.”
- An easy way to comply is for the school to have the right Emergency Preparedness Kits
Each School, small or large, is advised to stock a School Emergency Grab Bag
To aid clarity, the following image is a comparison drawn across the most recent NaCTSO guidance, a typical School Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) template1 as currently in use and both School Emergency Kits available on this website. We hope you find it useful. Right-click on the image to open a larger version and use CTRL+ on your keyboard to magnify.You can also view it as a more comprehensive PDF version.
There are a few non-mandatory additions given in official guidelines. Please see the full PDF verison for details.
How good is good enough and what is robust? A more critical look.
As you may appreciate, official guidelines cover bare minimum requirements. However, chances are this is not good enough for you.
That is why our Emergency Kits are fully customisable.
Why should you compromise or stick with the bare minimum? Emergency Preparedness is too important a topic to be taken lightly. Get the Emergency Kit that’s exactly right for your school at competitive prices and with minimal lead times. Placing a bespoke order is easy.
Also, you may want to differentiate between mobile School Grab Bags versus ‘Shelter-in-Pace’ / in-situ Emergency Preparedness Resource Kits for lock down situations. Our friendly and knowledgeable team is happy to advice or simply browse the Emergency Kit section so see standard and custom-made kits.
That covers Emergency Kits – what about Emergency Plans?
Well, templates are a start. However, frankly speaking, not a very good one especially when leaving gaps which mean that individuals such as headteachers can be prosecuted. The aim of the Corporate Homicide and Corporate Manslaughter Act was to put an end to organizations being culpable, shifting responsibility to individuals.
Why ready-made templates are not fit for purpose you can read in more depth in the next post “Why template School Emergency Plans do not add up“.
The solution: affordable and robust custom made School Resilience Products.**
For background, please see Emergency Preparedness and Resilience for Schools – a new approach. Alternatively, simply use this blog’s categories drop-down menu and look for posts tagged ‘schools’.
Don’t delay! Let us make your plans and sort your kit so that you can be better prepared to the latest recognized standards:
- Schools Financial Value Standard 2015 (SFVS)
- NaCTSO National Counter Terrorism Security Office, 2009 “Counter terrorism protective security advice for Higher and Further Education”
- BS 6500:2014 Organisational Resilience
- BS 11200:2014 Crisis Management
- BS ISO 22301:2014 Business Continuity Management
- BS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management
Resilient Schools – Resilient Communities: let’s start building today!
** please note, School Resilience Products (bespoke School Emergency Plans) have been discontinued. This section of the blog is of historic interest only. However, school emergency kits remain and are now in their own category School Safety Kits.
References:
1 School Emergency Management Plan (SEMP); in use across counties, i.e. Merseyside, Hertfordshire, Nottingham etc. Sample accessed (1/10/15) from
*the ‘School Resilience Package’ comprising kit and bespoke plans launched in 2015 and was discontinued early 2017 due to supplier changes
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Excellent clear information, thank you. Our school will definitely be looking to purchase your school kits.
Appreciate this post. Honest facts clearly presented. This is helpful for school emergency planning.
As a school business manager, this information proved very useful to relay to our emergency planning team, thank you. It’s a pleasure to see a UK business dedicated to bringing quality affordable emergency preparedness tools to schools.
Very good write-up, thank you. Will help in how we put kits together for our school and your directory ‘Ready for Emergencies’ is an excellent resource. Keep it going!!
This makes a lot of sense, is easy and nicely presented. Customising an emergency kit for schools also makes a lot of sense. Look forward to speaking with you.