Unit 1 Introduction to Recovery

Schools and the community are confronted with putting the pieces back together following sudden, tragic events such as death or serious injury to students and staff, bus accidents, fires, natural or man-made disasters and violence. The aftermath of tragedies on individual children and adults is not simple to predict.

Recovery during an emergency can address immediate short-term needs, while long-term recovery can last for months or years. The scope of recovery operations will be determined by the size and nature of the events, at times relying on a chain-reaction of school, LEA and Government responses.

Immediate vs. Ongoing Recovery

It is essential to understand recovery at two distinct levels: immediate and ongoing. Immediate support is needed from the first moments of a traumatic event through the first few days following it. Frequently, recent victims of major trauma are in a state of shock, and at this time basic human needs of food, shelter, and clothing are often a primary focus. Long-term recovery needs may not be readily apparent, and many will require ongoing support. Ongoing recovery assistance provides for individuals weeks, months, or years following a tragic event. Schools should recognize that people recover at different rates and should take this variance into consideration when conducting all recovery operations.

The goal after an emergency is to return to the business of learning and to restore the infrastructure of the school as quickly as possible. There are four key components of recovery that need to be addressed in order to achieve a relative state of normalcy.

• Physical/Structural Recovery
• Business/Fiscal Recovery
• Academic Recovery
• Emotional Recovery

The full PDF version of Section 5 of School Emergency Response Plan and Management Guide is available for download.