MONTANA SCHOOL RESOURCE COMMITTEE 
Wilma Puich 
Emergency Manager, Butte Silver Bow, Montana

In Montana the Montana Association of Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinators has established a School Disaster Resource Committee (SDRC).  This Committee, that meets quarterly, provides resources in the form of planning guidance, state and national school safety publications, and presentations to school associations and local School Boards.  If schools need help in disaster planning they need just ask.

The primary goal of the SDRC is to eventually get legislation adopted that will mandate All Hazard School planning in every school in the state. In the meantime they are now working on establishing a Safe School Checklist, and addressing the power situation to include school closures, parental release policies, and identifying resources.

The committee is composed of representation from Disaster & Emergency Services, Montana School Board Association, Montana Office of Public Instruction, Parent Teachers Association and the Montana Fire Marshal’s Office. Additional membership will soon be addressed.

The committee is now distributing to all schools in Montana a recently completed All-Hazards Procedures Checklist. The checklist is a flip chart to be used in classrooms or public areas in each school building.

It seems that almost monthly a new threat appears on the horizon for us to address. Despite our efforts to be on top of these threats we know they will continue to impact our schools.  We, in emergency management and school administration must continue to mitigate and plan to insure a coordinated response to protect our schools and their precious contents.

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