Hazardous Materials and Train Derailment Emergency Planning Guide for School Districts and Community Colleges - Volume 2: Project Ideas for All Phases of Emergency Management

Planning for hazardous materials (hazmat) emergencies can seem like a daunting task. Lack of familiarity with the topic may lead to apprehension, reluctance, and avoidance from not knowing where to start. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration teamed up with Texas A&M Transportation Institute to release the Hazardous Materials and Train Derailment Emergency Planning Guide for School Districts and Community Colleges. This four-volume guide provides best information, suggestions, and templates that districts can adapt to their own situation. The guide provides best practice recommendations to help districts develop a robust hazmat emergency plan or further enhance existing plans, policies, and procedures. The following volumes make up the lineup of the guide: Summary for Planning Leaders Volume 1: The Planning Framework and Process Volume 2: Project Ideas for All Phases of Emergency Management Volume 3: Threat and Hazard Assessments Volume 4: Emergency Plan Templates Volume 2 provides hazardous-materials-related action items that districts can undertake in each of the five phases of the emergency management process to increase their readiness in each. The second volume also provides the following resources in appendices: 1. Appendix A -- a discussion of the particular problem of social media and public communication in hazardous materials and infectious disease events, and recommendations for districts to address disinformation attacks and the spread of misinformation, limiting the complications they can create during a response. 2. Appendix B -- information on training resources and programs for school emergency managers and others involved in the planning and response to hazardous materials incidents affecting schools. 3. Appendix C -- recommendations on drill and exercise schedules and content for hazardous materials responses. 4. Appendix D -- a Planning Implementation Checklist for schools/classrooms. 5. Appendix E -- recommendations on preparing response kits for shelter-in-place hazardous materials events, incidental and small spill containment/cleanup, emergency decontamination, and first aid kits for accidents involving chemicals in science laboratories and other locations where districts use hazardous materials on school property. 6. Appendix F -- basic steps and action items your district can use to engage the community in emergency planning for hazmat. 7. Appendix G -- an explanation and discussion of cost tracking and recovery from hazardous materials incidents and the peculiarities involving the responsible party and who pays for the cleanup and recovery.