Vulnerability Assessment

Staff from the Colorado School Safety Resource Center can conduct a vulnerability assessment at any Colorado school at no charge. Simply call the CSSRC office at 303.23.4435 or contact: Brad.stiles@state.co.us

Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS)

• Colorado Information Resources Guide
  • This document provides a compilation of preparedness resources available in Colorado.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• FEMA P-1000, Safer, Stronger, Smarter: A Guide to Improving School Natural Hazard Safety (2017)
  • This Guide provides up-to-date, authoritative information and guidance that schools can use to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing natural hazards. It is intended to be used by administrators, facilities managers, emergency managers, emergency planning committees, and teachers and staff at K through 12 schools.
• Design Guide for Improving School Safety in Earthquakes, Floods & High Winds
  • This manual is intended to provide guidance for the protection of school buildings from natural disasters. This volume concentrates on grade schools, K-12. FEMA P-424 covers earthquakes, floods, and high winds. Its intended audience is design professionals and school officials involved in the technical and financial decisions of school construction, repair, and renovations.
• Primer to Design Safe School Projects in Case of Terrorist Attacks and School Shootings - (2nd Edition)
  • The purpose of this primer is to provide the design community and school administrators with the basic principles and techniques to design a school safe from terrorist attacks.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

• Creating a Safe School Building
  • Safe schools not only have proactive prevention and intervention plans, well-organized crisis teams and clear lines of communication - they also provide physically safe havens for students and staff.
  • Tip sheet created by National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments

• Educational Facilities Vulnerability / Hazard Assessment Checklist
  • Published by the Texas Center for Educational Facilities (formerly American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities) in 2011.
  • Vulnerability assessment is the ongoing process through which school districts and campuses identify and evaluate potential risks, and areas of weakness, capable of adversely impacting the campus or school system (The United States Department of Education, 2008). As a result of varying characteristics, assessments must be customized to fit the physical environment, culture, and resources of each educational facility.
  • This checklist provides an overview of educational facility vulnerabilities and hazards that should be identified and addressed in the prevention/mitigation phase of a school's emergency management process.

• National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF)

  • Information from the National Center for Educational Facilities (NCEF) is focused on protecting schools occupants, buildings and grounds and is coordinated with the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools of the U.S. Department of Education. This site includes resources and publications that are free and available in pdf versions.
  • Door Locking Options in Schools
  • Improving School Access Control
  • Low-Cost Security Measures for Schools
  • Mitigating Hazards in School Communities and Assessment Guides
  • NCEF Safe Schools Facilities Checklist
  • School Security Technologies

U.S. Department of Education

• A Guide to School Vulnerability Assessment: Key Principles for Safe Schools | en Español
  • This guide, published by the U.S. Department of Education in 2008, is intended to be a companion piece to Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities and emphasizes ongoing vulnerability assessment as a valuable part of emergency management planning. This guide is intended to assist schools with the implementation of an effective vulnerability assessment process, to include choosing an appropriate vulnerability assessment tool.
• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center
  • Sample vulnerability assessment checklists from the REMS TA Center
    • Sample Vulnerability Assessment Worksheet from the Wayne County, MI Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)
    • School Safety/Security/Vulnerability - Assessment Tool from the Lodi Unified School District
    • School Safety & Security Assessment Tool (From the City of Waterbury, CT)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• K-12 School Security Practices Guide
  • This guide (2nd ed. 2018) provides preventative and protective measures to address the threat of gun violence in schools. The guide is delivered in two parts: the first portion is a pdf with general security best practices and considerations in narrative format, while the second portion is a Microsoft Excel-based security survey. Together these documents outline action-oriented security practices and options for consideration based on the results of the individual school's, response to the survey. While the primary audience for the guide is the k-12 community, institutions of higher education and pre-k schools may also benefit.
• K-12 School Security Checklist
  • This guide (2nd ed. 2018) provides preventative and protective measures to address the threat of gun violence in schools. The guide is delivered in two parts: the first portion is a pdf with general security best practices and considerations in narrative format, while the second portion is a Microsoft Excel-based security survey. Together these documents outline action-oriented security practices and options for consideration based on the results of the individual school's, response to the survey. While the primary audience for the guide is the k-12 community, institutions of higher education and pre-k schools may also benefit.

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