U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General
Laurie O. Robinson
Assistant Attorney General
Jeff Slowikowski
Acting Administrator
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Justice Programs
Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods
www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
ojjdp.gov

Cover photos: FEMA/Andrea Booher (top photo), FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino (bottom photo).
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics;
the National Institute of Justice; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender
Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

October 2011

Foreword


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e are pleased to offer this document to guide juvenile justice residential facilities in preparing for, respond­
ing to, and recovering from emergencies. Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities
is the first comprehensive planning guide to address the specific needs of children, youth, and families
involved in the justice system during an emergency.
The document was developed in response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters’ recommenda­
tion in October 2009 that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) conduct an assess­
ment of emergency preparedness among state, county, and local juvenile justice systems. OJJDP found that the
plans they examined were predominately intended for basic continuity of operations rather than comprehensive
emergency planning, response, and recovery.
The Commission also recommended that OJJDP form a working group whose mission is to improve juvenile justice
emergency preparedness nationwide. In response, OJJDP established the Justice Working Group on Children and
Disasters, which comprises staff from federal agencies, experts in emergency planning, juvenile justice practition­
ers, mental and behavioral health professionals, and educators, many of whom administered programs or were
first responders in a major emergency during the past 5 years. For months, the working group members met to
share resources and experiences in the area of emergency planning, response, and recovery. Emergency Plan­
ning for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities is the result of their work.
Through the guidance offered in this document, we encourage facilities to develop comprehensive emergency
plans that will make a real and tangible difference in the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable individ­
uals in our nation’s justice system. These young people, their families, and the staff who care for them deserve
nothing less.

Laurie O. Robinson
Assistant Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs

Foreword / iii

Acknowledgments


A

special debt of gratitude is owed to Melodee Hanes, lead coordinator of the Justice Working Group on Chil­
dren and Disasters, who was the guiding force behind this project. Her enthusiasm and commitment were
critical to the team effort and to keeping the project on track.

We would also like to express our thanks to the Justice Working Group‘s Simon Gonsoulin and Christopher
Bruno, who provided most of the content for this document. Their firsthand knowledge about juvenile justice resi­
dential facilities and their experiences in emergency response and recovery were indispensable to the project.
Many thanks also go to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Scott Pestridge, who
served as the liaison between the Office and the Justice Working Group; and to Randall Gnatt of the National
Commission on Children and Disasters, who provided sound advice at every step in the process.
Christine Tansey of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions, who served as editorial manager,
was instrumental in seeing the document through from the draft stage to its final form.
Acknowledgments also are due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Donald Lumpkins,
who offered his expertise in the development of emergency operations plans and provided many helpful
suggestions.
Any project of this scope entails the cooperation of many individuals, and thanks go to the entire Justice Working
Group. Their reviews of the document were pivotal to ensuring its accuracy and completeness. Following is a list
of the group’s members:

Lead Coordinator
Melodee Hanes, J.D.
Deputy Administrator for Policy
OJJDP
Office of Justice Programs

Members
Susan James-Andrews, M.S.
Juvenile Justice Consultant
James-Andrews & Associates
Challenges
Paulette Aniskoff
Chair
Children’s Working Group
FEMA

Valerie Boykin
Juvenile Justice Consultant
Christopher Bruno
Supervisor
Rivarde Detention Center
Jefferson Parish, LA
Howard Davidson, J.D.
Director
Center on Children and the Law
American Bar Association

Daniel Dodgen, Ph.D.
Director
Office for At-Risk Individuals
Behavioral Health and Human
Services Coordination
Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Preparedness & Response
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services
Randall Gnatt, J.D.
Policy Director
National Commission on Children
and Disasters (NCCD)

Acknowledgments / v

Simon G. Gonsoulin, M.Ed.
Principal Research Analyst and
Juvenile Justice Resource
Specialist
American Institutes for Research
Kathi Grasso, J.D.
Senior Juvenile Justice Policy
and Legal Advisor
OJJDP
Judge Ernestine S. Gray, J.D.
Chief Judge
Orleans Parish Juvenile Court
New Orleans, LA
Heather King
Supervisory Program Manager
Planning and Assistance Branch
National Preparedness Directorate
FEMA
Lauralee Koziol
Lead Coordinator
Children’s Working Group
FEMA
Dave Kuker
Juvenile Justice Specialist
Iowa Division of Criminal &
Juvenile Justice Planning

Bruce Lockwood, C.E.M.
Commissioner
NCCD
Public Health Emergency
Response Coordinator
Bristol-Burlington Health
District, CT

William Modzeleski, M.P.A.
Associate Assistant Deputy
Secretary
U.S. Department of Education

Ned Loughran
Executive Director
Council of Juvenile Correctional
Administrators

Christopher J. Revere, M.P.A.
Executive Director
NCCD

Donald Lumpkins, J.D.
Chief
Planning and Assistance Branch
National Preparedness Directorate
FEMA
Roland Mertz
Director
Bureau of Community
Preparedness
Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency (PEMA)
Jim Messinger
Emergency Management
Specialist
PEMA

v i / Emergency P lanning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Lisa Portune, M.S.W., L.I.S.W.
Juvenile Court Consultant

Zoe Savitsky
OJJDP Intern (summer 2010)
Gregory A. Thomas, M.S.
Emergency Preparedness
Consultant
The Alan Thomas Security
Group LLC
Tracy Wareing, J.D.
(Former) Counselor to
the Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland
Security

Table of Contents


Foreword ............................................................................................................................................. iii

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................. v

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Section 1: Overview of the Planning Process.............................................................................................. 3

Forming a Planning Team.................................................................................................................. 4

Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment ............................................................................................... 6

Identifying Essential Functions............................................................................................................ 6

Determining Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................... 7

Developing and Analyzing Courses of Action, Identifying Resources ...................................................... 7

Writing the Plan............................................................................................................................... 7

Approving and Disseminating the Plan ............................................................................................. 10

Exercising the Plan and Evaluating Its Effectiveness............................................................................. 11

Reviewing, Revising, and Maintaining the Plan.................................................................................. 11

Section 2: Budgeting for Emergency Planning and Response ...................................................................... 13

Section 3: Allocating Responsibilities to Staff............................................................................................ 15

Section 4: Establishing Communications Procedures .................................................................................. 17

Internal Communication .................................................................................................................. 17

External Communication ................................................................................................................. 18

Section 5: Planning To Protect Critical Infrastructure .................................................................................. 21 

Section 6: Preparing To Shelter in Place and To Evacuate ...........................................................................
Ensuring the Availability of Adequate Supplies ..................................................................................
Selecting Evacuation Sites ...............................................................................................................
Developing Protocols for the Release of Youth to Their Families ............................................................
Addressing Transportation Issues......................................................................................................
Supporting Staff After an Evacuation ................................................................................................

23

23

24

25

26

27


Section 7: Providing Mental Health Services and Medical Care...................................................................
Planning Ahead.............................................................................................................................
Using a Triage System ....................................................................................................................
Continuing Mental and Behavioral Health Assessments.......................................................................
Integrating Emergency-Related Interventions Into Programming for Youth ...............................................

29

29

30

30

31


Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s / v i i

Section 8: Training Staff in Basic Emergency Care ..................................................................................... 33

Section 9: Evaluating the Facility’s Staffing Needs..................................................................................... 35

Section 10: Offering Support to Youth and Their Families .......................................................................... 37

Keeping Families Informed .............................................................................................................. 37

Helping Youth To Contact Their Families............................................................................................ 37

Providing Structured Activities for Youth .............................................................................................38

Section 11: Meeting the Needs of Staff and Their Families .........................................................................
Encouraging Staff To Create Family Emergency Plans .........................................................................
Ensuring That Staff Continue To Be Paid ............................................................................................
Allowing Staff To Exercise Control....................................................................................................
Arranging for Housing....................................................................................................................

39

39

39

39

40


Section 12: Managing Volunteers ........................................................................................................... 41

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 43

References and Resources ..................................................................................................................... 45


v i i i / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Introduction


W

ildfires, floods, hazardous material spills,
hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes—
emergencies1 can strike anytime, anywhere.
In fact, the number of annual federal disaster decla­
rations has more than doubled over the past few
decades. All juvenile justice residential facilities2
need plans to prepare for, respond to, and recover
from these emergencies so that the essential services
they provide can become operational again as soon
as possible after an emergency strikes. Emergency
planning for these facilities takes on even greater sig­
nificance because children are often the most vulner­
able population in disasters, and protecting them from
physical harm and trauma is essential.
Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residential
Facilities provides information about how facilities can
ensure that youth receive the supports and services
they require as they experience the disruptions that
emergencies inevitably cause. This document empha­
sizes the importance of ongoing communication and
collaboration with community partners in the emergen­
cy planning process. In addition, facilities are encour­
aged to prepare for all emergencies that may affect
their geographical area—for everything from a fire in
a building to a major flood, earthquake, or hurricane
that impacts the surrounding region.
The emergency management cycle encompasses
four interdependent phases: prevention/mitigation,3
preparedness, response, and recovery. Prevention/

mitigation measures create a safer environment and
facilitate recovery from later emergencies by reducing
the risk of serious damage. Preparedness in the form
of drills and exercises helps ensure an effective and
efficient emergency response. During the recovery
phase, careful assessments of what worked and what
did not contribute to improved preparedness for sub­
sequent emergencies. All phases are vital elements in
the emergency management cycle.
This publication provides key principles and recom­
mendations, but it is not overly prescriptive. Emer­
gency planners inevitably will need to adapt these
guidelines to the particular requirements of their
facilities. This document is targeted to state, county,
and local juvenile justice authorities charged with the
custodial care and supervision of youth in the juvenile
justice system, with particular focus on those authori­
ties who oversee residential treatment and correctional
and detention facilities that house juveniles via courtordered placements. The principles outlined in this
document may also apply to emergency planning for
youth in out-of-home placement.
The document is divided into 12 sections. Section 1
provides an overview of the planning process and
provides information about forming a planning team;
assessing the facility’s preparedness; analyzing
courses of action; and writing, approving, disseminat­
ing, exercising, and updating the plan. Sections 2–12
provide an indepth look at key issues juvenile justice

For the purposes of this document, “emergency” means an incident—natural, technological, or manmade—that requires a response to protect
life, property, or the environment. In addition to the examples just provided, emergencies may include extreme heat and cold, tsunamis, land­
slides, terrorist threats, civil unrest, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, war-related disasters, utility failures, hostage crises, sexual assaults,
bomb threats, and public health and medical emergencies.

1

In this document, the term “juvenile justice residential facility” is defined as any secure-care or detention facility designed to confine youth for
either the short or long term. The facility may be operated by state, county, local, or private entities.

2

Mitigation refers to activities that are designed to reduce the loss of life and property as a result of serious emergencies by lessening the im­
pact of the disaster and creating a safer environment. These activities, which generally have a long-term and sustained effect, help fix the cycle
of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2010).

3

Introduction / 1

residential facilities may want to consider as they write
or update their plans. These issues include emergency
preparedness training for staff; the protection of criti­
cal infrastructure; protocols for communication with
families,4 other agencies, and the public; and effective
emergency medical care and mental health services.
An extensive list of references and resources at the
end of the document provides additional sources of
information about how to best prepare for, respond to,
and recover from emergencies.

4

Through its step-by-step guidance in the planning pro­
cess, Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residen­
tial Facilities will help ensure the efficient continuation
of operations during an emergency, the reduction of
risk to the physical plant, and, most importantly, the
safety and well-being of youth and staff in our nation’s
juvenile justice residential facilities.

The term “families” encompasses all primary caretakers of youth, including biological family members, guardians, foster parents, etc.

2 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 1: Overview of the Planning Process


J

uvenile justice residential facilities are charged
with the responsibility of safely detaining youth
while providing them with the academic programs,
medical and mental health treatment, and life skills
and vocational training they so urgently need. There
are more than 2,400 residential facilities in the United
States, which house more than 81,000 juvenile of­
fenders (Hockenberry, Sickmund, and Sladky, 2011).
Emergency planning for these facilities requires a
special set of considerations that involve collaborative
efforts across the spectrum—emergency management
experts, administrators of state secure-care facilities
and local detention facilities, juvenile court officials,
law enforcement personnel, child welfare profession­
als, and medical and mental health personnel.

Emergency preparedness is a continuous cycle of
planning, organizing, equipping, training, exercising,
evaluating, and taking corrective action (see figure
below). These activities are part of an ongoing cycle of
improvement as planners analyze the effectiveness of
the facility’s response to recent emergencies and make
appropriate adjustments to enhance the management
of subsequent emergencies. All emergency operations
plans (EOPs) are living documents; they change as new
knowledge is gained and as the situations that planners
face develop and evolve.

EvolUlfle/
improve

Many youth in residential placement have a history of
trauma and exposure to violence and are particularly
vulnerable to the aftereffects of a major emergency. Car­
ing for their needs, as well as the needs of the staff who
work at residential facilities—usually under demanding
circumstances and in a stressful environment—requires
advance planning. A comprehensive emergency plan,
which prepares for a range of emergencies and involves
many stakeholders in the community across a range of
disciplines, will help ensure the safety and well-being of
youth and also will enable staff to carry out their respon­
sibilities as effectively and efficiently as possible during
an emergency.

P9'redess
Cyee
Organn.e/
equip

Courtesy of FEMA

Following are basic guidelines for planning:

Important Tips for Emergency Planning
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Adopt an “all-hazards” approach.
Collaborate with partners and stakeholders.
Establish a chain of command.
Write a planning document.
Exercise, review, and revise the plan.

l

Adopt an “all-hazards” approach. Juvenile justice
residential facilities should be prepared for the full
range of emergencies that can occur on their prem­
ises and in the surrounding area. This “all-hazards”
approach ensures the best possible preparation for
these contingencies, which may involve quite differ­
ent activities in the response phase.

Section 1: Over view of the Planning Process / 3

l

Collaborate with partners and stakeholders. Plan­
ning is most effective when it is coordinated with
federal, state, county, and local juvenile justice
agencies as well as with the state’s emergency
management agency, law enforcement, the courts,
emergency medical services (EMS), human ser­
vices, public health, fire, and public works de­
partments, to name a few. The effectiveness of a
response to an emergency depends on close coop­
eration and teamwork and a clear delineation of
roles and responsibilities.

l

Establish a chain of command. Developing an or­
ganizational structure—also known as an Incident
Command System (ICS)—for managing the emer­
gency brings order and stability to the facility’s staff
and residents, as well as to the surrounding com­
munity. This standardized approach integrates the
functions of facilities, equipment, procedures, and
communications. The ICS should be directly tied to
the state, county, and local emergency systems.

l

l

Write a planning document. Emergency prepared­
ness should have at its center a written document
that provides a tangible reference point for plan­
ners and staff. The document should contain a de­
tailed breakdown of emergencies that could occur
in a facility’s geographical area (also known as a
vulnerability assessment) and guidelines for every
facet of emergency response and recovery, includ­
ing communications with families of youth, youthserving agencies, and the public; the roles and
responsibilities of staff; procedures for sheltering in
place and evacuation; arrangements for emergency
medical and mental health services; and the mea­
sures in place for meeting the short- and long-term
needs of residents and staff.

FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

and updated once a year. Plans should evolve as
lessons are learned, new information and insights
become available, and priorities change.

Forming a Planning Team
Experience has demonstrated conclusively that
emergency planning is best done by a team. This
coordination clarifies roles and responsibilities at all
levels. Planners at the juvenile justice residential facil­
ity should solicit information from staff about how
operations under their purview may be affected by
the emergencies likely to occur in their geographical
area. Staff from every major department should be
consulted about the challenges emergencies pose to
continuity of operations. Their observations and rec­
ommendations should be discussed and incorporated
into the EOP.

•

Exercise, review, and revise the plan. Staff should
be trained to respond to an emergency through
regular drills. The plan should be reviewed and
revised if areas that require improvement are identi­
fied. At a minimum, the plan should be reviewed
FEMA/Mark Wolfe

4 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Recommended Participants in the Planning Process
A juvenile justice residential facility’s planning team should include key
staff from the following departments:
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Administration.
Security.
Maintenance.
Finance/accounting.
Human resources.
Information technology.
Programming (medical, mental health, academic, and
recreation programs).

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w

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Mental health professionals.
Education partners.
Public works agencies (e.g., water, electricity, and garbageremoval services).
Current contract service providers (e.g., transportation companies,
medical and mental health contractors, food services).
Members of nonprofit organizations (e.g., community-based
mental health providers, faith-based programs, the YMCA).
Families and youth involved with the juvenile justice system.
Youth advocates.
Volunteers.

Planning team members from the larger community should include:
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Juvenile justice agency representatives.*
Emergency management officials.
Juvenile and family court administrators.
Probation officers.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Child welfare agency administrators.
Public health professionals.
Law enforcement and fire department officials.
Medical and mental health experts.
Emergency medical services providers.
FEMA/Manny Broussard

*In this document, “juvenile justice agency” refers to the agency that oversees juvenile justice residential facilities in a given region or state. Representatives of the juvenile justice
agency are critically important members of the planning team because they can help to ensure that emergency policies, procedures, and plans developed by these facilities are
aligned with each other as well as with those of higher governing authorities (e.g., the governor’s office). This alignment is essential to an efficient use of resources and a coordi­
nated approach to emergency planning.

The facility’s emergency planning must be coordinated
with planning efforts at the state, county, and local
levels. An Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention-supported study (Andrews and Yeres,
2006) conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Ka­
trina found that juvenile justice systems that responded
most effectively to the storms were active participants
in a broad-based planning team with a history of
collaboration.
The shared knowledge and cooperation of this multi­
disciplinary team will help ensure the development of
a comprehensive and coordinated EOP. In addition,
a collaborative approach often contributes to the

development of creative and innovative strategies for
coping with an emergency.
An example of collaboration between stakeholders
might be an agreement with law enforcement agen­
cies during the planning phase to assist in transporting
adjudicated youth across multiple county lines during
an evacuation. A police escort has the added benefit
of ensuring the efficient and safe movement of youth
through cities and evacuation routes immediately
preceding or following a disaster. Another example
might be the signing of memorandums of understand­
ing (MOUs) with potential host centers in neighboring
states to move youth across county or state lines in the

Section 1: Over view of the Planning Process / 5

event that an evacuation becomes necessary. Issues
such as staffing, reimbursement, housing for youth and
staff, and the provision of services are among the is­
sues that might be addressed in the MOUs.
A high-ranking official from a state, county, or local
emergency management agency should review the
facility’s EOP if agency representatives are unable
to serve on the planning team. The official should
provide feedback about the thoroughness of the plan;
about improvements needed in the plan to maintain
the safety of youth, staff, and the public; and about
whether the plan is appropriately aligned with EOPs
at the state, county, and local levels.
Agreements with the courts, child welfare agencies,
and other youth-serving agencies regarding proce­
dures for evacuation in an emergency should be de­
veloped during the planning process and kept on file.
Agreements with the juvenile courts should specify the
circumstances under which nonviolent offenders can
be released to their families in the event of an evacua­
tion and the procedures for the release.

Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment
Before an EOP is written, a vulnerability assessment
should be conducted to determine which emergen­
cies a facility is at greatest risk of experiencing. This
research will help determine the threats that merit
special attention in planning. Planners should gather
information about the potential hazards, available re­
sources, and geographic or topological characteristics
that could affect emergency operations. The results of
the vulnerability assessment will serve as an indispens­
able guide in the shaping of the emergency plan.
Planners should consider working with state, county,
and local emergency management and law enforce­
ment to assess the hazards faced by their facility and

NOAA News Photo

to determine how these threats might influence plan­
ning efforts. Vulnerability assessments should have al­
ready been completed by the emergency management
agencies, and these agencies may be able to provide
valuable information and to help prevent duplication
of effort. Reviewing the emergency plans and policies
of other juvenile justice residential facilities also can
serve as a helpful starting point in writing a plan.

Identifying Essential Functions
Once the vulnerability assessment has been conduct­
ed, planners should identify all functions of the facility
and then determine the ones that must be continued
under all circumstances. These essential functions
should be prioritized, and the staffing and resources
required to keep them in operation should be speci­
fied. In addition, planners should identify supporting
activities that ensure that essential functions continue
to be carried out during and following an emergency.
If a written document already exists, planners should
consult with the facility’s key staff to gain feedback on
the problems they encountered the last time the EOP
was implemented, either through a drill or a response
to an actual emergency. This task will help planners

6 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

to identify gaps in the plan and make appropriate ad­
justments. In addition, the facility’s policies should be
assessed to determine whether they are consistent with
an all-hazards approach.

Determining Goals and Objectives
Once a planning team has been formed and the
vulnerability assessment has been completed, the pro­
cess of developing goals and objectives can begin.
Planners should allow the results and findings of these
preliminary activities to help shape the facility’s goals
and objectives.
Goals are general statements that provide an over­
view of what emergency operations are designed to
accomplish. Objectives outline the major elements of
a plan that will enable the facility to realize the goals
it has set. The EOP lays out how the objectives will be
realized through specific activities and procedures. In
the days and weeks following an emergency, the ob­
jectives will provide an important measure of the effec­
tiveness of the facility’s response and recovery efforts.

Developing and Analyzing Courses of
Action, Identifying Resources
During this step, planners develop and compare pos­
sible solutions for achieving the goals and objectives
identified in the previous step. This planning should
include a sequenced structure for responding to and
recovering from an emergency and for facilitating
long-term operations during a major emergency. The
planning team might consider working through this
process by using charts or timelines that help members
visualize response flow.

Writing the Plan
The written plan constitutes a blueprint for action in
responding to an emergency. Following is an over­
view of a possible structure for an EOP. The overview
is based on one of the most widely used formats for
EOPs, commonly known as the traditional functional
format. It consists of three sections: the basic plan,
functional annexes, and hazard-specific annexes.5 The
basic plan provides a general overview of information
relevant to the EOP, whereas the annexes focus on
specific responsibilities, tasks, and actions required to
successfully implement the EOP. It should be noted that
the following summary is for general guidance purpos­
es only. The structure of the EOP should be adjusted
as necessary to meet the individual needs and require­
ments of each juvenile justice residential facility.

Basic Plan
Promulgation Statement. Announces the plan, gives it
official status, and grants authority and responsibility
to carry out the tasks.
Record of Changes. Presents in chronological order
all of the updates or changes to the plan, the section
of the EOP affected by the change, the date of the
change, and the individual who made the change (see
Sample Record of Changes Form on page 8).6
Record of Distribution. Can be used to prove that
relevant individuals have received, reviewed, and ac­
cepted the plan. Usually includes the date of delivery,
number of copies received, method of delivery, and
recipient’s name and title. This form generally uses a
table format similar to the Sample Record of Changes
Form.

The summary of the components of the basic plan, functional annexes, and hazard-specific annexes has been adapted with permission from
FEMA’s Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, Version 2.0 (2010), pp. 3-12
through 3-18, available at fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/CPG_101_V2.pdf.

5

The Sample Record of Changes Form is taken with permission from FEMA’s Continuity of Operations Plan Template for Federal Departments
and Agencies (n.d.), p. 6, available at fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/coop/continuity_plan_template.pdf.

6

Section 1: Over view of the Planning Process / 7

Sample Record of Changes Form
Change Number

Section of EOP

Date of Change

Individual
Making Change

Description
of Change

1.
2.
3.

Purpose, Scope, Situation Overview, and Planning
Assumptions. Includes general statements about the
following subjects:
•	 What	the	EOP	is	designed	to	do.	
•	 The	scope	of	the	emergency	response	as	well	as	
the juvenile justice residential facility and geo­
graphic area to which the plan applies.
•	 The	geographic	characteristics	and	hazards	of	the	
region in which the facility is located, data about
the facility’s physical plant and its staff and resi­
dents, and how the facility expects to receive or
provide assistance within regional response
structures.
•	 Basic	emergency	planning	assumptions	(e.g.,	the	
possibility of a heightened need for medical and
mental/behavioral health services).
A sample format for the Purpose, Scope, Situation
Overview, and Planning Assumptions section for a
juvenile justice residential facility’s EOP is shown on
page 9.
Concept of Operations (CONOPS). Establishes in
broad terms the sequence and scope of the planned
emergency response. It is a written statement or visual
representation showing generally how the EOP will
be executed. Included in the CONOPS are the opera­
tional activities involved in—
•	 Identifying	and	assessing	the	hazard.
•	 Selecting	protective	action.

•	 Notifying	families,	staff,	external	partners,	and	
the public.
•	 Addressing	short-	and	long-term	needs	of	staff	
and residents.
•	 Ensuring	the	continued	operation	of	the	physical	
plant.
Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities. Pro­
vides a list of the kinds of tasks to be performed (and
the job titles of the individuals responsible for carrying
out the tasks) without the procedural details included
in the annexes. Both primary and supporting responsi­
bilities should be assigned.
Direction, Control, and Coordination. Identifies who
has tactical and operational control of the emergency
response. Describes the facility’s Incident Command
System (ICS), a standardized, all-hazards manage­
ment approach that helps to ensure a coordinated
response. Also indicates how the ICS interfaces with
other emergency command structures in the community
or state if the facility’s ICS is part of a larger response
operation.
Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination.
Describes the information that is essential to opera­
tions. Identifies the sources of the information, who is
authorized to share the information, how and in what
format the information is to be shared, and the circum­
stances that require the information.
Communications. Offers general information about
protocols for communication between the juvenile

8 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Sample Section of Emergency Operations Plan:
Purpose, Scope, Situation Overview, and Planning Assumptions
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to ensure that [Name of Juvenile Justice Residential Facility]’s critical functions can continue to be carried out during an
emergency and to define the actions and roles necessary for an effective and coordinated emergency response. The basic plan provides guidance
before, during, and after an emergency. The plan takes a systematic approach to addressing all hazards through emergency management and
planning for mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Scope
This plan applies to [Name of Juvenile Justice Residential Facility/Juvenile Justice Agency] within the geographical boundary of [Name of City/
County].
Situation Overview
Characteristics

[Name of Jurisdiction] includes [Name of Juvenile Justice Residential Facility] located at [Physical Address]. [Name of Juvenile Justice Residential
Facility] consists of [number] main buildings, [number] portable structures/buildings, [number] living/programming buildings, [number] beds,
[number] recreation fields, [number] other outdoor areas for programming, and [number] parking areas. In addition, the center includes the
following buildings: [utility buildings, storage, etc.].
Demographics

[Name of Juvenile Justice Residential Facility] currently houses a total of [number] residents. The facility is currently meeting the access and func­
tional needs of [number] residents with disabilities. Following is a breakdown of the number of employees:
Security: [number].
Medical, case management, and mental/behavioral health: [number].
School: [number].
Support (human resources, business office): [number].
Janitorial/custodial/maintenance: [number].
Food services: [number].
Other (includes specialty and contract staff and volunteers): [number].
Hazard Profile

A vulnerability assessment completed on [date] has determined that [Name of Juvenile Justice Residential Facility] is at risk of experiencing
disruptions in day-to-day operations as a result of the following emergencies: [wildfires, floods, hazardous material spills, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tornadoes, extreme heat and cold, tsunamis, landslides, terrorist threats, civil unrest, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, war-related disasters,
utility failures, hostage crises, sexual assaults, bomb threats, and public health and medical emergencies.]

Planning Assumptions
w In a major emergency, there will be a surge in the need for medical and mental/behavioral health services.
w Staff and residents will sustain injuries of varying degrees of severity.
w Security issues will arise.
w Support from outside the facility will be limited for the first 72 hours.
w Staff have been trained in emergency protocols and procedures.
NOTE: This sidebar was created with the assistance of Donald Lumpkins, Chief, Planning and Assistance Branch, National Preparedness Directorate, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.

Section 1: Over view of the Planning Process / 9

provisions and protocols for warning the public and
disseminating emergency public information, and
specify the types of protective equipment and detec­
tion devices responders will use. Typically include
maps, charts, tables, checklists, resource inventories,
and summaries of critical information for each emer­
gency the juvenile justice residential facility is at risk
of experiencing.

Approving and Disseminating the Plan
FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

justice residential facility, response organizations,
and other partners.
Administration, Finance, and Logistics. Outlines gen­
eral support requirements and the availability of ser­
vices and support for emergencies, as well as policies
for administering resources. Includes requirements for
tracking expenditures and the use of resources.
Plan Development and Maintenance. Discusses the
overall approach to planning and the assignment of
development and maintenance responsibilities. Identi­
fies by position the individuals responsible for devel­
oping, revising, and approving the basic plan and
annexes. Outlines a schedule for review of the EOP
and directives for regular emergency-preparedness
training for staff.
Authorities and References. Describes the legal basis
for emergency operations and contains references to
important documents on which the plan is based.

The written plan should be checked to ensure confor­
mity with applicable federal, state, county, and local
standards and presented to the appropriate officials
for signature. The juvenile justice residential facility’s
staff attorney, who should be engaged throughout
every phase of the EOP’s development, ensures that
the EOP is aligned with statutes across all levels of
government, protects the rights of staff and youth,
and reduces potential liabilities for the juvenile justice
agency and the juvenile justice residential facility. In
addition, the following individuals should be included
in the approval process:
•	 Director	of	the	juvenile	justice	agency	and/or	
director of the juvenile justice residential facility.
•	 Deputy/assistant	director	of	the	facility.
•	 Chief	of	security/safety	officer.
•	 Medical	director.
•	 Human	resources	director.
•	 Business	manager.

Annexes
Functional Annexes. Focus on specific policies, proce­
dures, roles, responsibilities, and operational actions
that agencies and departments carry out before, dur­
ing, and after a range of emergencies. Also establish
preparedness targets (training, exercises, equipment
checks, etc.).
Hazard-Specific Annexes. Usually identify hazardspecific risk areas and evacuation routes, specify

•	 Activity	director.
Human resources staff or trainers should ensure that
each new employee at the facility is familiar with and
has easy access to the plan. EOPs should be acces­
sible online (and secured for staff only). In addition, a
hardcopy version of the plan should be readily acces­
sible in each of the facility’s departments for reference
purposes.

1 0 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

As a staff-development assignment, new employees
might be required to identify which components of the
plan pertain to their job responsibilities. Significant
sections of the EOP could be highlighted as standing
professional development curriculum topics for all ex­
isting staff. In addition, trainers could provide a quick
review of a specific section of the plan or could pre­
pare materials for the highest ranking staff member to
share with others when leading roll call.
Dissemination of the plan extends to the larger commu­
nity as well. Juvenile justice residential facilities should
distribute the EOP to the appropriate emergency man­
agement agency and juvenile justice agency.

Exercising the Plan and Evaluating
Its Effectiveness
There is no better way to determine whether an EOP
is effective than to test it during drills and exercises.
These exercises, which should be announced as well
as unannounced, will enable the facility’s leadership
to quickly identify where gaps need to be filled in the
plan and where employee skills require further devel­
opment. Youth may also be included in drills, and their
feedback should be included in the review and revi­
sion process.
During drills, it is recommended that observers be
present to provide objective feedback on how the drill
proceeded, whether the plan was followed and prop­
erly executed by staff, and whether the alert system
and equipment functioned as expected. The purpose
of the drill is to teach the plan, identify flaws in its
content, and enhance emergency response by revis­
ing the plan. Formalized feedback from these drills
is an essential foundation for the further refinement
and improvement of the facility’s emergency response
capability. Feedback might be obtained through a
form distributed to heads of major departments (e.g.,
security, medical services, education) by the juvenile
justice residential facility’s director or assistant director.

FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

Following are some examples of questions that might
be included on the feedback form:
•	 What	components	of	the	EOP	worked	well?	
•	 Did	these	components	impact,	or	were	they	impact­
ed	by,	other	sections	of	the	EOP?
•	 What	components	did	not	work	well?
•	 Did	these	components	impact,	or	were	they	impact­
ed	by,	other	sections	of	the	EOP?
•	 If	the	EOP	did	not	work	well	in	certain	areas,	
what	corrective	actions	are	recommended?
•	 Which	individuals	(by	job	title)	are	authorized	to	
alter	emergency	operations	procedures?

Reviewing, Revising, and Maintaining
the Plan
The EOP should be updated as new information be­
comes available and as gaps in existing procedures
are identified. Assessments should focus on whether
there is a need to—
•	 Clarify	the	plan’s	directives	and	procedures.	
•	 Expand	the	support	or	resources	required	for	the	
safety of youth and staff.

Section 1: Over view of the Planning Process / 11

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Offers Resources for Developing
Emergency Drills
Emergency planners may wish to consult the Homeland
Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (Federal Emer­
gency Management Agency, 2007a), a capabilities and
performance-based program that provides a standardized
methodology and terminology for the design, development,
implementation, and evaluation of emergency drills. The
program constitutes a national standard for all emergency
preparedness exercises. It enables users to objectively assess
their capabilities so that strengths and areas of improvement
are identified, necessary corrections are made, and improve­
ments in the plan are shared. The program may be accessed
online at hseep.dhs.gov.
•	 Request	the	assistance	of	additional	community	
stakeholders.

should be involved in the revision process. The updated
EOP should be shared with partnering agencies (e.g.,
law enforcement, child welfare, education, labor, sub­
stance abuse, and mental health organizations) for their
information and coordinated response. Peer agencies
often face similar challenges and will benefit from shar­
ing lessons learned during an emergency.
During the process of review and revision, youth’s
families should be offered an opportunity to share
their perspectives on what worked and what did not.
The facility’s lead officials may wish to hold town
hall-style meetings following an emergency. Families
can offer their insights, and the leadership can com­
municate lessons learned during the emergency. All
of these interchanges will help reinforce the facility’s
partnership with the surrounding community and will
be an important step in enhancing the facility’s EOP.

•	 Improve	the	effectiveness	of	the	communications	
strategy and of transportation procedures.
•	 Obtain	additional	forms	and	documents.	
•	 Facilitate	access	to	resources.	
•	 Adjust	tools	used	for	coordinated	planning.	
New community partnerships established during the
response and recovery phases of an emergency must
be sustained and incorporated into the EOP as it is
revised following an emergency. These stakeholders

1 2 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

Section 2: Budgeting for Emergency Planning
and Response

A

dequate fiscal resources help ensure the effec­
tiveness of a facility’s preparation for, response
to, and recovery from an emergency. Facilities
should purposefully budget to cover the cost of drills
as well as that of equipment, supplies, and compensa­
tion of staff for overtime work during an emergency.
The budget should also address long-term evacuation
expenses in the event that the response and recovery
phases are lengthy. Issues such as the cost of housing
for staff and charges incurred as guests at a host facil­
ity should be included in the budget planning. Fiscal
needs should be reported to the governmental entity
that oversees the facility’s management and budget.
The facility’s policy for emergency planning should
stipulate that allowances will be made for the realloca­
tion of funds during an emergency. The emergency
operations plan should clearly identify (by job title) the
individuals in the juvenile justice agency and juvenile
justice residential facility who have the authority to
approve a reallocation of funds.
When a major emergency occurs, the leadership of
the juvenile justice residential facility may consider
outside sources of assistance. The facility and the

FEMA/Patsy Lynch

juvenile justice agency might partner with the state’s
emergency management agency and, in the event of
a federally declared disaster, with the Federal Emer­
gency Management Agency.
Finally, juvenile justice residential facilities should make
certain that contracts exist and are current for supplies
and services that will be needed before, during, and
following an emergency. It may be necessary to ar­
range contracts with local vendors who have a large
distribution network in the event that the local vendor’s
operation is disrupted by a long-term emergency.

Section 2: Budgeting for Emergency Planning and Response / 13

Section 3: Allocating Responsibilities to Staff

T

he effectiveness of an emergency response de­
pends to a great degree on ensuring that all staff
are fully briefed on their roles. Responsibilities in
the event of an emergency must be clearly assigned,
both to staff and to other cooperating agencies and
organizations. Coordination requirements with other
agencies should also be described.7 Those whose re­
sponsibilities might be specified include:
•	 The	facility’s	director.	
•	 Security	personnel.	
•	 Maintenance	staff.	
•	 Transportation	providers.	
•	 Law	enforcement	agencies.	
•	 Firefighters.	
•	 Emergency	medical	services	personnel.	
•	 Public	works	officials	and/or	agencies.	
The Incident Command System (ICS), which specifies
the organizational structure, decisionmaking authority,
and procedures for managing emergencies, is the tool
by which the facility will assign responsibilities to staff.
It is the most effective method for ensuring successful
continuity of operations in a facility when an emer­
gency occurs.
The ICS should be directly tied to the state, county,
and local emergency command systems. A member
of the facility’s staff may also be a member of the
emergency command system in the surrounding com­
munity. He or she may be the ideal individual to

FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

oversee coordination with outside agencies and to
assist with revisions to the facility’s emergency opera­
tions plan (EOP) in the weeks and months following
an emergency. More information on creating an ICS
is available at the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s online ICS Resource Center, at training.
fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/ICSResource/index.htm.
Juvenile justice residential facility administrators may
consider appointing and training one incident com­
mander and two or three staff members to serve as
backup commanders. This measure will enable the
facility to continue operations in the event that the
designated commander is unexpectedly unable to
report for duty. It also allows for a rotation system that
ensures coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Incident commanders should be members of the team
that writes, reviews, and assesses the facility’s EOP.
Throughout each phase of the preparedness cycle, the
commanders should maintain regular communication
with the facility’s other lead official(s) to ensure that
these authorities are kept up to date.

For example, the decision to evacuate and the implementation of an evacuation plan may be the responsibility of firefighters. In this case, the
fire department would function as the lead agency, with the juvenile justice residential facility assuming a secondary role.

7

Section 3: Allocating Responsibilities to Staff / 15

remain on duty before they are relieved by other staff.
The plan should designate staff members on the relief
team and provide information about when and where
they should report to relieve staff who have evacu­
ated. Plans should call for at least two rotating teams
during the evacuation.

Identifying Essential Staff and Clarifying
Their Responsibilities
Staff members designated “essential”—staff whose responsi­
bilities can only be carried out onsite (e.g., maintenance staff,
dormitory supervisors, security personnel)—should have
their roles and responsibilities specified in a written document.
This document should be signed to ensure accountability. No
staff positions are more critical than those involving the direct
supervision and care of youth. The young people entrusted
to the facility’s care must have staff to oversee them and
keep them safe and secure. Backup staff must be identified
in the event that designated staff are unavailable during an
emergency.

To assist staff in understanding their specific roles
and those of their colleagues in responding to and
recovering from an emergency, it is recommended
that simple, concise “job action sheets” be created for
quick reference. The job action sheets should align
closely with staff’s individual skill areas and with the
directives outlined in the EOP.

The delineation of roles and responsibilities should
include a statement that evacuation may be necessary
in an emergency and that certain staff will be required
to work in alternate locations, which may necessitate
separation from their families for an extended period.
The statement should indicate that, in the event of an
evacuation, staff must report for work (barring extraor­
dinary circumstances, to be specified in the plan) or
remain available on standby to relieve other staff. The
statement should identify which staff will evacuate with
youth and specify how long they will be expected to

A sample job action sheet, currently used by the
Rivarde Detention Center in Jefferson Parish, LA, is
shown below. Job action sheets are particularly effec­
tive when they are formatted as checklists. For more
information about job action sheets and for addi­
tional examples, see A Guide for the Management of
Emergencies or Other Unusual Incidents within Public
Health Agencies (Qureshi, Gebbie, and Gebbie,
2006), available at www.ualbanycphp.org/pinata/
phics/guide/phics08.cfm.

Sample Evacuation Job Action Sheet
Position: Assistant Supervisor 1
Designation: Evacuation Coordinator
Duties:
❒ Ensure that all food, medical supplies, and clothing have been
loaded in the evacuation vans.
❒ Ensure that all necessary medical and detention records of
detainees to be evacuated are in the portable lock file and that
the keys are given to escort supervisors.
❒ Ensure that communications equipment is loaded and that the
communications protocol for evacuation is active.

❒ Ensure that parents of detainees to be evacuated have been
informed of the evacuation site and given contact information.
❒ Ensure that there is an adequate supply of restraints.
❒ Ensure that all vehicles are in the staging area and are fully fueled
and prepared.
❒ Contact the evacuation site and provide a timetable for
movement.
❒ Coordinate with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for an
evacuation escort.

1 6 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 4: Establishing Communications
Procedures

A

juvenile justice residential facility’s emergency
operations plan (EOP) should outline clear pro­
cedures for internal and external communication.
Special consideration should be given to communica­
tion with—

officials are not required to spend valuable time locat­
ing staff who are offsite. E-mail or text messages also
might be used to contact staff.

•	 Staff	and	their	families.	
•	 State,	county,	and	local	stakeholders.	
•	 The	general	public.	
•	 Youth’s	families.	
Deciding in advance on methods for disseminating
information can go a long way toward ensuring stabil­
ity, order, and the effective implementation of the plan
when an emergency occurs.

Internal Communication
If staffing needs can be predicted hours or days
ahead of an impending emergency, staff can be kept
informed about when they need to report for work or
about other actions they may be required to take. Dur­
ing an emergency, it may be necessary to replace or
supplement staff on account of illness, injury, exhaus­
tion, or the need for additional manpower or exper­
tise. After an emergency, the knowledge, commitment,
and skills of staff will be necessary to facilitate a
return to normal operations. For these reasons, contact
information and an established protocol for communi­
cations with staff must be maintained.
A phone tree and a staff call-in system are effective
methods for passing on vital information. The EOP
would ideally designate one easily accessed call-in
number for staff to use. Staff could call in at set times
twice a day, at which time information and updates
can be communicated. One advantage to this method
is its efficiency: the facility’s emergency operations

FEMA/Jacinta Quesada

Do not count on a local line to be in service, as many
emergencies will render local telephone systems unus­
able. A toll-free national phone line can establish a
viable link to convey important information to staff and
their families. In addition, a recording device on the
line could allow staff to leave current contact informa­
tion and messages about conditions in their area. Call
lists could be organized by geographical area in the
event that it becomes necessary to travel to employees’
homes (or to a prearranged, easily accessible location
in the community) to communicate in person when tele­
phone or Internet communication fails.
Nonessential staff—employees whose duties can be
performed offsite—do not need to put their safety in
jeopardy by reporting to work during or following an
emergency. Arrangements should be made for remote
computer access or telework capabilities to ensure that
these employees can continue to support operations.
For example, a business manager could work remotely
to ensure that payroll, supplies, and other necessities
continue to be inventoried, ordered, and delivered in
a timely manner.

Section 4: Establishing Communications Procedures / 17

Telecommuting for Nonessential Staff
Consider arranging telework agreements in advance with staff
who would be able to work from home during an emergency.
Such agreements ensure regular communication—a key
factor in guaranteeing that operations continue smoothly
during an emergency. Telecommuting agreements also offer
a reference point for holding staff accountable in the event
that employees working offsite fail to carry out their respon­
sibilities. These agreements should include detailed contact
information (staff’s land-line and mobile phone numbers and
e-mail addresses). The agreement should also designate when
and how an employee should contact the agency to receive
updated information or to learn of any pending assignments
or deployments. Staff should have access to an established
virtual private network, which provides individual users with
secure access to their organization’s network.

Planners should also prepare for the possibility that
the primary communication system—whether it be
the telephone or the Internet—could fail during an
emergency. At this point, other forms of communica­
tion (e.g., two-way radios and satellite phones) would
need to be activated. Steps should be taken to ensure
that an adequate supply of this equipment is on hand
for continuity of operations. In some situations, particu­
larly during an evacuation, support equipment such as
car chargers, solar chargers, or hand-crank chargers
would become necessary to keep communication de­
vices operational.

External Communication
It is essential to develop procedures for communica­
tion with partnering agencies and organizations in the
region, such as neighboring juvenile justice residential
facilities, emergency management agencies, local law
enforcement agencies, the courts, probation depart­
ments, medical services, and others.
As noted earlier, coordination should be an important
part of the early planning stages. This coordination

may take the form of memorandums of understand­
ing, contracts, informal agreements, and interagency
tabletop drills8 that will help ensure that operations
continue smoothly throughout the response and recov­
ery phases. For legal, logistical, and numerous other
reasons, a method of contacting and remaining in
contact with other facilities and agencies in the region
should be established.
Interagency communication during an emergency can
be one of the most difficult things to establish. It is also
one of the most critical. Advance agreements should
specify which mode of communication will be used in
the event of an emergency. Conference calls (at a spe­
cific time, or using a specifically set-aside emergency
telephone number), established radio nets, a desig­
nated meeting place, a cell- or satellite-phone relay, or
other methods can serve this purpose. The agreements
should include backup plans.
In communications with the media and the general
public, juvenile justice residential facilities should ad­
here to established policies. One spokesperson (e.g.,
the press secretary or lead administrator) should be
designated to oversee the release of all information.
This approach helps ensure clear communication and
a consistent message. All releases should be prepared
with guidance from the lead emergency staff member
and/or appropriate professional (e.g., medical doc­
tor, lead mental health clinician). The releases should
be reviewed and approved by the appropriate leader­
ship. Information disseminated to the public should be
on a strictly need-to-know basis; only essential informa­
tion is required. The names of youth (as well as other
identifying information) should not be included.
Procedures should be in place for notifying families
in a timely manner about the nature of the emergency
and the facility’s plans for ensuring the safety of youth.
Families should also be kept well informed about
the facility’s procedures for releasing youth to their
families in the event that an evacuation becomes nec­
essary. At the onset of any threat, families should be

8
Tabletop drills involve key personnel in discussions of simulated scenarios in an informal setting. These exercises can be used to assess plans,
policies, and procedures to prevent, respond to, and recover from a specific emergency (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2007b).

1 8 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

made aware of what steps will be taken to ensure the
safety and security of youth in custody. If time allows
in a major emergency requiring evacuation, families
should be informed about whether their children are
likely to be released or moved to another facility out­
side the immediate geographical area.
Staff should consult families regularly about their
children’s needs. Information supplied by families
might include special instructions for youth with read­
ing disabilities, dietary guidelines, and the need for
medication or specialized equipment and training to
address medical issues such as asthma and diabetes.
This will be a helpful supplement to the information
staff already have on hand from medical records, their
own observations, and information provided by youth.
In the event that youth can be released to their families
during an evacuation, this ongoing contact enables
staff to locate families and coordinate the release with
families in a safe and efficient manner.

Each family should provide the following information
with regular updates to the appropriate staff during
visitation days and other contacts with the facility:
•	 Contact	information	at	the	location	a	family	is	most	
likely to travel to in the event that they must evacu­
ate their homes.
•	 The	phone	numbers,	names,	and	pertinent	contact	
information for relatives who live in another region
or out of state. This information will assist youth
who qualify for release from the facility during
an emergency but who cannot locate their own
families.
•	 The	cell	phone	numbers	of	at	least	two	relatives	
who would know the family’s whereabouts in an
emergency.
Additional guidelines for keeping families regularly
informed and assisting youth in contacting their fami­
lies during an emergency are available in section 10,
“Offering Support to Youth and Their Families.”

Section 4: Establishing Communications Procedures / 19

Section 5: Planning To Protect Critical Infrastructure

A

juvenile justice residential facility’s critical infra­
structure is defined as systems and assets—either
physical or virtual—that are so vital that their
incapacitation or destruction may have a debilitating
effect on a facility’s security, operations, and environ­
ment, and on the safety and well-being of youth and
staff.9

,J

Physical infrastructure includes:
•	 The	physical	plant.
•	 Communications	technology	(e.g.,	telephones,	
satellite phones, radios).
•	 Utilities	(e.g.,	water,	gas,	electricity,	sewage).
•	 Transportation	vehicles	(in	case	of	evacuation	or	
medical transfer).
•	 Hardcopy	vital	records.
Virtual infrastructure includes:
•	 Youth	records	maintained	in	an	electronic	
database.

FEMA/Adam Dubrowa

•	 Information	technology	(e.g.,	servers,	desktop	com­
puters, laptops, smartphones, and other communi­
cations devices).
Protecting critical infrastructure from exposure, dam­
age, or destruction may involve incorporating hazard
resistance into initial facility design, building in resil­
iency and redundancy, installing security systems, and
implementing cyber-security measures.

•	 Operations	records	maintained	in	an	electronic	
database.

This text is adapted from the definition of critical infrastructure supplied in Section 1016(e) of Public Law 107–56 (42 U.S.C. 5195(e)), also
known as The USA PATRIOT Act: “Systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction
of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any
combination of these matters.”

9

S e c t i o n 5 : P l a n n i n g To P r o t e c t C r i t i c a l I n f r a s t r u c t u r e / 2 1

Critical Infrastructure Protection
Emergency managers use a process known as Critical Infrastructure
Protection, which consists of the following steps:

FEMA/Mark Wolfe

1. Identify critical infrastructure that must remain continuously intact
and operational to ensure that a facility’s essential functions can be
carried out.
2. Determine the threat posed by all possible hazards to the critical
infrastructure.
3. Analyze the vulnerabilities or weaknesses that exist in the
infrastructure.
4. Assess the risk of the degradation or loss of the threatened/
vulnerable infrastructure.
5. Apply protective or resiliency measures to reduce risk, protect
infrastructure, or ensure the rapid restoration of infrastructure after
an emergency.

2 2 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 6: Preparing To Shelter in Place and
To Evacuate

S

heltering in place typically involves retaining staff
and youth in a predetermined area for a short
period of time to avoid danger or prevent harm.
Under these circumstances, regular activities such as
school and recreation are suspended, and the focus
shifts to ensuring safety and maintaining security. Situ­
ations that require sheltering in place may include
tornadoes, chemical spills, street flooding, civil unrest,
and terrorist incidents. Each of these emergencies re­
quires special precautions.
For example, tornadoes can appear without warn­
ing, so preparations and decisions about how and
where to shelter must be made well in advance. Staff
must immediately direct youth and other employees
to a designated area away from windows or exte­
rior doors. The ideal locations are interior rooms (or
hallways) on the lowest possible floor. Youth and staff
should sit in close proximity in a curled position with
arms over their heads for protection and remain quiet
until an all-clear signal is given.
During a chemical spill, the facility’s officials will need
to plan for closing all doors and windows and turning
off all furnaces, air conditioners, or other ventilation
equipment. It may also be necessary to place plastic
sheeting over windows and vents and to place duct
tape over electrical outlets, around doors, and over
other openings.
Evacuation requires more indepth planning. Arrange­
ments need to be made to move to an alternate facil­
ity, to develop protocols for effective transportation,
to maintain security, and to ensure the well-being of
staff and residents as they adjust to a major disruption
to their normal day-to-day activities. Situations that
may require evacuation to an alternate location may
include hurricanes, flooding in the facility caused by

rising water, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, long-term
hazardous materials or radiological releases, and
other natural and manmade emergencies.
During an evacuation, staff will need to quickly and
efficiently move youth, other employees, equipment
(e.g., communications and medical equipment),
supplies (e.g., bedding and clothing), food, and ap­
propriate records to an alternate location until the con­
ditions that caused the evacuation have abated and
it has been determined that it is safe for youth and
staff to return. Planners should ensure that all vehicles
(including escort vehicles) have two-way radio commu­
nication capabilities and that an appropriate number
of restraints (plastic flex cuffs) are available.
A vulnerability assessment conducted during the plan­
ning phase will have identified the emergencies likely
to occur in a specific geographical area, and this will
assist the facility in preparing for those emergencies
and determining ahead of time which types of events
would most likely require sheltering in place and
which types would require evacuation.
As with all aspects of emergency preparedness, there
should be plans for backup in case emergency pro­
cedures fail or staff are unable to report for duty. At
least one alternate method or person should always
be available.

Ensuring the Availability of Adequate
Supplies
During the planning phase, separate supply lists
should be created for sheltering in place and for
evacuating from a facility. The supplies required to
carry out each of these procedures are quite distinct.

S e c t i o n 6 : P r e p a r i n g To S h e l t e r i n P l a c e a n d To E v a c u a t e / 2 3

Creating separate lists will prevent unnecessary confu­
sion and major delays during an emergency. The lists
should be easily accessible to ensure a quick emer­
gency response.

supplies for 3–5 days. These supplies, included in
what is commonly known as a “drive-away kit,” may
not need to be used; however, if a shortage develops,
the supplies could become critical. This measure will
also ensure an adequate supply of essential items if
the primary evacuation site cannot be reached in a
timely fashion or is not immediately available. These
items should include:
•	 Food	and	drinking	water.10
•	 First-aid	supplies.	
•	 Portable	medical	records.	
•	 Medication.
•	 Portable	emergency	generators.	

FEMA/Michael Rieger

Planners should be certain that there are enough sup­
plies to shelter in place for at least 72 hours as it may
not be possible to replenish supplies after an emergen­
cy strikes. Planners should anticipate that for several
days supply lines may be severed, and the following
essential supplies should be stored accordingly:

•	 Clothing.	
•	 Hygiene	supplies.	
•	 Bedding	and	tents.	
•	 Communications	equipment	(e.g.,	cell	phones	
and radios).

•	 Food	and	drinking	water.	

•	 Flashlights.	

•	 First-aid	supplies.

•	 Batteries.	

•	 Generators.	

•	 Charged	laptops.	

•	 Space	heaters.	

•	 Additional	fuel	for	vehicles.	

•	 Chemical	toilets.	
•	 Flashlights.	
•	 Batteries.	
Although most evacuations are to a designated facility
that has agreed to provide most essential provisions,
contingency plans should be made to bring enough

Selecting Evacuation Sites
During the planning phase, agreements should be
signed with a receiving facility and one or more back­
up facilities that have the capacity to support staff and
residents. It is important to choose at least one loca­
tion that is far enough away that it is unlikely to be

Juvenile justice residential facilities may wish to consider limiting the amount of perishable food and focus instead on bringing canned,
vacuum-sealed, dry, and powdered foods. Another option would be to sign a contract for food and water services with a vendor in the com­
munity to which the facility will be evacuating as a backup measure in the event that the food services operation at the host facility is unable to
meet the demand. The provision of food services should be spelled out in the agreement between the host center and the evacuating facility.

10

2 4 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

affected by an emergency in the facility’s geographi­
cal area. Agreements should establish the criteria,
requirements, and needs of the evacuating facility.
It is important to specify what sections of the receiv­
ing facility the evacuated youth and staff will occupy
and what essentials the receiving facility will provide.
These essentials would typically include the following
items:
•	 Food,	water,	and	bedding.	
•	 Separate	areas	for	staff	to	rest,	shower,	and	sleep.	
•	 The	use	of	computer	equipment	and	the	Internet.	
It is critical that both the staff of the juvenile justice res­
idential facility and the staff of the host facility be fully
briefed on their respective responsibilities. Agreements
should be reviewed and renewed annually.

guidelines promoted by professional correctional or­
ganizations and agency policies. A visit to a potential
evacuation site during the planning phase could be
a helpful way to eliminate any questions that may
exist about compliance with the JJDP Act. Under no
circumstances should juvenile justice residential facilities
plan to evacuate to facilities that hold adults if those
facilities do not provide adequate sight-and-sound sepa­
ration of juveniles from the adult population.
Preparations for evacuating youth or receiving youth
from another facility should take into account gender
and safety issues. There should be separate areas for
each gender. Staffing considerations should include
appropriate coverage by direct-care staff of the same
gender.
Finally, the facility’s staff will need to plan strategically
to address issues associated with high-risk populations
(e.g., serious mental health disorders, violent behav­
ior, a history of escape). Planning ahead for disciplin­
ary issues during an evacuation will help promote the
safety of staff and of other youth in the facility.

Developing Protocols for the Release
of Youth to Their Families

FEMA/Liz Roll

Juvenile justice planners should be certain that any site
housing a detained juvenile population complies with
the core protections of the Juvenile Justice and Delin­
quency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended.11
State, county, or local juvenile detention facilities may
be an ideal choice as these facilities are regularly
monitored for compliance with the JJDP Act. In addi­
tion, these facilities should already comply with other

An agreement with the local juvenile court should be
made well in advance to identify procedures for re­
leasing some of the youth to their families in the event
that an evacuation is necessary. The juvenile justice
residential facility and the court could determine
which youth can be released to families and which
should remain in custody. Procedures for the release of
youth could include facility and court teleconferencing
or signing orders via e-mail if inperson communication
is impossible. Youth who remain in custody should be
evacuated.

The original goals of the JJDP Act were to help state and local governments prevent and control juvenile delinquency and to improve the juve­
nile justice system. These goals were reaffirmed in the reauthorization of the Act in 2002. Through the 2002 JJDP Act reauthorization, the Act’s
four core protections were maintained. Participating states must comply with these core protections to receive full funding under the Formula
Grants program. They require the following: deinstitutionalization of status offenders, separation of juveniles from adults in secure facilities,
removal of juveniles from adult jails and lockups, and reducing disproportionate minority contact within the juvenile justice system. For more
information about the JJDP Act, visit OJJDP’s Web site at ojjdp.gov/about/legislation.html.

11

S e c t i o n 6 : P r e p a r i n g To S h e l t e r i n P l a c e a n d To E v a c u a t e / 2 5

If there is adequate time before an emergency strikes,
families should be informed about whether the youth is
likely to be released or evacuated. If the facility waits
too long to make a decision, families may evacuate
their own homes before they can be contacted to se­
cure their child.
Families of youth who can be released should be con­
tacted as soon as possible and instructed to retrieve
their children from the facility. However, families may
not be able to travel to the facility in a major emer­
gency that affects the larger community; ideally, emer­
gency planning should establish procedures for the
facility to transport youth to their families.

Addressing Transportation Issues
The facility’s buses will transport youth who must
remain in secure care to the host facility. When pos­
sible, all supplies, medical and mental health records,
and other necessities should be loaded as soon as a
threat requiring evacuation has been detected. The
emergency operations plan should identify a staging
area where vehicles can be loaded and prepared for
immediate evacuation. After the vehicles are loaded
with youth and staff, the staging area is the recom­
mended location for any escort vehicles (e.g., police
cars) to meet in preparation for the evacuation.
Evacuation routes should be established in advance.
Alternate routes should be identified in anticipation of
the possibility that the primary route cannot be used.
Detailed maps and text directions should also be avail­
able, and copies should be stored in a central location
to facilitate distribution at the time of evacuation.
During the planning phase, juvenile justice residential
facilities should develop agreements with the appropri­
ate law enforcement agency to provide escorts and
priority access to alternate routes in case the primary
routes are blocked. Without this advance prepara­
tion, youth and staff may find themselves in traffic for
many hours during a major emergency, a frustrating
situation that could lead to disciplinary problems and
threats to the security and safety of evacuees.

FEMA/Patsy Lynch

If it is anticipated that additional vehicles or fuel may
be needed from another source during an evacuation,
facility officials should outline clearly in the planning
phase when and how they are to be procured. Gas
tanks should be full at all times as fuel may become
scarce or completely unavailable during an emer­
gency. At the first sign of an impending emergency,
any vehicle that could possibly be used for evacuation
should be filled with gas if it has been used for a pur­
pose other than evacuation.
The state juvenile justice disaster plan should address
preparations for youth leaving and entering the state,
as these youth may now fall under the host facility’s
jurisdiction. A potentially helpful resource is the Inter­
state Compact for Juveniles (ICJ), which was created
to regulate the interstate movement and supervision
of juveniles, to ensure the public’s safety, and to create
a more effective and efficient means of transferring
and tracking juveniles between states. Plans for evacu­
ation should be developed on a regional basis in case
it becomes necessary to evacuate youth across state
lines. Regional planning also helps ensure that evacu­
ated youth can remain as close to their homes and
families as possible. The ICJ’s governing body is the
Interstate Commission for Juveniles. For more informa­
tion on the ICJ, go to the Commission’s Web site at
www.juvenilecompact.org/.
If possible, staff should be dispatched in advance of
the evacuation to assist in preparing the receiving fa­
cility for the evacuees’ arrival. Although in many cases

2 6 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

available. Particular attention should be paid to their
medical and mental health needs. Staff will need to
be given an opportunity to decompress and talk with
professionals about their experiences.

FEMA/Michael Rieger

this may not be possible, it is an ideal way to ensure a
smooth transition. The advance team may bring some
supplies with them to further facilitate this movement.
This team should include staff with sufficient authority
to request changes in the original agreement with the
host facility, if necessary.

Supporting Staff After an Evacuation
After the evacuation has been successfully carried
out and residents and staff have been installed at the
host facility, support services for staff should be made

For evacuated staff who are working at a host facility
that is far from their homes, staff quarters could be
established at the facility or in rooms rented outside
the facility. A daily home-cooked meal might be pre­
pared for staff. It may be helpful to arrange for staff to
eat together as a team so they can exchange informa­
tion about their homes and loved ones. Staff should
be encouraged to speak with social services person­
nel and faith-based counselors as their concerns may
increase significantly when they are separated from
their families. As staff begin running out of their per­
sonal medication, the agency should arrange to have
their medication refilled and also assist with payment,
as many staff may not have access to funds. In addi­
tion, staff may need access to the Internet to contact
vendors to obtain supplies, conduct personal business
(e.g., assistance from the Federal Emergency Manage­
ment Agency, food stamps, bill payments), and com­
municate with their relatives.

S e c t i o n 6 : P r e p a r i n g To S h e l t e r i n P l a c e a n d To E v a c u a t e / 2 7

Section 7: Providing Mental Health Services
and Medical Care

W

hen a major emergency arises, there may be
a surge in the need for services to address
the mental health and medical needs of youth
and staff. It is important to plan ahead for a range of
emergencies. During a major emergency, for example,
a well-planned triage procedure will help ensure that
those who are most severely impacted either emotion­
ally or physically by the event are treated as soon as
possible.

Planning Ahead
During the planning phase, it is critical for juvenile
justice residential facilities to establish “as-needed”
contracts with mental and behavioral health profes­
sionals so they can assist in the event that onsite
professionals are not available, or in the event that
additional personnel above and beyond the facility’s
staff are needed. During the writing of the juvenile
justice residential facility’s emergency operations plan
(EOP), these professionals should develop protocols
for screening and assessment. A supply of these proto­
cols should be available in multiple locations to ensure
easy access.

plans for providing Psychological First Aid,12 bereave­
ment support, and other brief supportive services to
all residents. Plans should be in place to address these
needs in a continuum-of-care or four-tiered model that
includes brief supportive services, individual treatment
by a qualified mental or behavioral health profession­
al at the juvenile justice residential facility, placement
in a specialized mental health unit at the facility, and
placement in an offsite mental health facility.
To ensure that the medical needs of physically injured
staff and youth are met, agreements between a juve­
nile justice residential facility and a hospital in the im­
mediate area typically are signed during the planning
phase. This measure will prove to be extremely helpful
in the event that some of the injuries sustained during
an emergency exceed the healthcare capabilities of
onsite medical personnel. It is recommended that an
agreement be signed with a secondary hospital in the

The protocols should clearly outline the necessary
steps personnel should take to address the mental
and behavioral health needs of the most severely
impacted youth following the emergency, as well as
FEMA/Robert Kaufmann
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a supportive behavioral intervention for use in the immediate aftermath of disasters and other traumatic
events. It does not assume that all youth will develop severe mental health problems or long-term difficulties, but instead is based on the under­
standing that youth in emergencies will experience a range of early physical, psychological, behavioral, and spiritual reactions that may be
helped by support from compassionate and caring responders. PFA is designed to enhance safety; provide physical and emotional comfort;
identify immediate needs and concerns; help establish contact with primary support persons or other sources of support, including family mem­
bers, friends, and community resources; and provide information about stress reactions and coping. For more information, read the National
Child Traumatic Stress Network’s and the National Center for PTSD’s Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide, 2d Edition (2008), at
www.nctsnet.org/sites/default/files/pfa/english/1-psyfirstaid_final_complete_manual.pdf.

12

Se c t i o n 7 : P r o v i d i n g M e n t a l H e a l t h S e r v i c e s a n d M e d i c a l C a r e / 2 9

region in the event that the primary hospital is inca­
pacitated by the emergency.
The EOP should address the possible need to waive
established transportation procedures (e.g., placing
youth in shackles and handcuffs) in order to transport
seriously injured youth to a medical facility in the com­
munity as quickly as possible. In emergencies, security
concerns should be weighed against the need to treat
a serious medical problem.
In addition to addressing medical needs directly
related to the emergency, the plan should outline pro­
cedures for continuing to treat preexisting or chronic
medical conditions among youth and staff (e.g., dia­
betes, asthma, high blood pressure). Issues such as
medication, treatment, the availability of medical sup­
plies, and the maintenance of medical equipment must
be addressed in the emergency plan.

Using a Triage System
During the response phase of a major emergency,
mental health professionals, emergency medical
services personnel, and facility staff who have the rel­
evant qualifications should be assigned to determine
who needs emergency first aid; secondary triage
should be conducted to identify risk factors and symp­
toms of emotional distress or adjustment difficulties. If
possible, one or two triage locations should be estab­
lished where healthcare staff can assemble. A proto­
col for reporting to the triage location, developed by
the juvenile justice residential facility’s medical per­
sonnel, should be included in the EOP. The protocol
should be practiced during drills.
Every effort should be made to use the facility’s
infirmary/sick-call area to treat youth and staff who
are injured. If residents and staff have been evacu­
ated, or if the infirmary is inaccessible or rendered
inoperable by the emergency, it is recommended that
a location be designated that is self-contained, has a
noncontaminated water source, has electricity (it may
be necessary to use a generator), and is easily acces­
sible by medical emergency vehicles.

FEMA/George Armstrong

How One Juvenile Justice Residential
Facility Conducted Triage
During a recent emergency, detained youth were evacuated
to a secure-care facility operated by the state. A triage area
was established in the facility’s infirmary. Physicians (including
psychiatrists), psychologists, nurses, and social workers were
assigned to the triage area. Youth were hydrated immediately
upon entry to the building and were quickly screened by the
nurses and social workers. Each youth was then seen and as­
sessed individually by the medical doctor and child psychiatrist
as prioritized by nurses and social workers. A decision was
made in each case about whether youth would remain in the
infirmary for immediate treatment, would require hospitaliza­
tion, or would be transferred to a different location on the site
of the juvenile justice residential facility.
Youth who exhibit significant symptoms of distress dur­
ing and following the emergency, or who are high risk
on account of preexisting mental or behavioral health
problems, should be further evaluated for suicidal
ideation, psychosis, depression, and other issues iden­
tified by facility staff. The EOP should include immedi­
ate intervention strategies for emerging mental health
issues.

Continuing Mental and Behavioral
Health Assessments
Youth should be evaluated and monitored on an on­
going basis to determine the severity of their needs,
especially during the early days of the recovery effort.

3 0 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Youth usually respond appropriately during an emer­
gency (e.g., following directions of direct-care person­
nel and other adults). However, youth with a history
of mental or behavioral health issues, trauma, or loss
may decompensate quickly after a major emergency,
when the staff’s attention is typically focused on get­
ting the physical plant operational, restoring power,
securing food, and dealing with other concerns. Facili­
ties should ensure that these issues are addressed by
qualified staff.
If youth develop serious mental health problems,
professionals will recommend placement outside the
juvenile justice residential facility. If transport is not
possible during an emergency, staff should consider
keeping youth who pose a danger to themselves or
others in the infirmary and placing them under con­
tinuous observation until their condition improves or
until they can be moved to a facility better equipped
to address their needs.

concerns, to informally assess their situation, and to
offer support. Staff from the juvenile justice agency
might be assigned to visit with employees to listen to
their observations and recommendations about the fa­
cility’s needs and about what measures may be taken
to facilitate the performance of their duties.
Following an emergency, employees should be given
permission to request a consultation with the facility’s
mental and behavioral health staff through a pre­
scribed procedure (e.g., an employee assistance pro­
gram). Referrals for additional treatment may be made
to professionals in the community. Assessment of staff’s
needs should continue throughout the recovery phase.

If additional assistance is needed, facility officials
may wish to consider temporarily relocating mental
and behavioral health professionals from other facili­
ties that were not impacted by the emergency or from
community agencies with whom a memorandum of
understanding has been signed to meet youth’s imme­
diate needs.
It is important to remember that staff, too, may be
emotionally affected by an emergency. Staff who work
directly with residents are critical to the well-being of
these youth and can have a profound effect on their
behavior. Many staff who are exhausted and experi­
encing stress while on duty may only require a brief,
supportive conversation with nonsupervisory profes­
sionals in order to continue carrying out their assigned
tasks effectively.
Volunteers on the facility’s approved volunteer list (in­
cluding individuals from the faith-based community)
as well as nursing and mental and behavioral health
staff should speak individually with the facility’s em­
ployees on an ongoing basis to screen for stress-related

FEMA/John Ficara

Integrating Emergency-Related
Interventions Into Programming
for Youth
Even youth who do not exhibit symptoms of serious
mental health problems can benefit from continued
support throughout the recovery phase after a major
emergency. Staff may wish to consider integrating
disaster-related interventions and brief supportive
services into regular programming for youth, such as
educational programming or substance abuse treat­
ment. Weaving these interventions through the facil­
ity’s routine daily activities can help continue to foster
long-term adaptive functioning and coping skills.

Se c t i o n 7 : P r o v i d i n g M e n t a l H e a l t h S e r v i c e s a n d M e d i c a l C a r e / 3 1

Addressing Pandemics
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines a
pandemic as a global outbreak of disease that appears or “emerges”
in the human population, spreading from person to person worldwide
and causing serious illness.* Juvenile justice residential facilities and
other congregate-care settings are especially vulnerable to the trans­
mission of infectious disease.
Staff and youth should be educated about easy, common-sense mea­
sures they can take to protect themselves against infection. In addi­
tion, the facility’s emergency operations plan (EOP) will most likely
need to allow for the adjustment of intake and discharge procedures
during a pandemic. The EOP might include a contingency plan to ad­
mit only juveniles who present the greatest danger to the community
or who are at highest risk of escaping from the jurisdiction of the local
detention center during the pandemic. Another measure might be to
accept no admissions during the disease outbreak. The EOP should
also include procedures for handling the health emergency should it

escalate to the point that it is no longer safe for all youth to remain at
the facility.
To minimize the spread of the disease, facilities will need to identify
areas where youth exhibiting symptoms of disease may be quaran­
tined and observed. Since FEMA guidelines indicate that at the height
of a serious pandemic as much as 40 percent of the staff may be
absent for up to 2 weeks, facilities should provide influenza vaccina­
tions for all facility employees and identify potential replacements for
staff. Staff replacements will need to be trained.
For comprehensive information about addressing pandemics, visit
flu.gov, a federal Web site managed by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
*Continuity of Operations: An Overview of Continuity Planning for Pandemic Influenza
(Federal Emergency Management Agency, n.d.).

3 2 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 8: Training Staff in Basic Emergency Care

H

ealthcare resources, both in the juvenile justice
residential facility and in the community at
large, may not be readily available in a major
emergency. Training for frontline staff—particularly in
first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and brief sup­
portive interventions to address emotional trauma—is
crucial to ensuring youth’s safety and well-being. This
training should be updated regularly and incorporated
into regular drills.

FEMA/Shannon Arledge

Many facilities have limited access to professional pe­
diatric mental health providers on a day-to-day basis.
In an emergency situation, access to mental health
providers could be absent altogether. Staff should be
trained to serve as a first line of defense against undi­
agnosed mental and behavioral health problems; they
should be trained to recognize serious mental and
behavioral health concerns and to bring them to the
attention of the appropriate medical professionals.

13

A necessary component of this training model, es­
pecially for staff who have direct contact with youth,
should focus on signs of distress and adjustment dif­
ficulties in youth during or following a catastrophic
event. Training should include basic issues of mental
health, characteristics typical of the juvenile justice
population (including previous exposure to violence
and a high incidence of mental health problems),
how to identify symptoms of psychological trauma,
the impact of bereavement and loss, and the nature of
trauma-inducing events.
Training for staff and crisis counseling services for
both youth and staff may be available through the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis­
tration’s (SAMHSA’s) Crisis Counseling Assistance and
Training Program13 or other state or federal programs.
Such training can also be obtained through commu­
nity and government mental health agencies or other
partners. Juvenile justice residential facilities should
coordinate with the state mental health agency before
and after an emergency to determine what state and
federal resources may be available. In addition, facili­
ties might consider incorporating into their mandatory
training instruction on identifying signs of distress in
youth.
Immediately following a major emergency, refresher
training should be held for staff who work in the
residential facility’s dormitories or school. During the
weeks that followed a recent emergency, contracted
mental health and medical professionals provided
quick review sessions during shift roll call for frontline
staff on the warning signs of psychological problems.

To learn more about SAMHSA’s Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, go to store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA09-4373.

S e c t i o n 8 : Tr a i n i n g S t a f f i n B a s i c E m e r g e n c y C a r e / 3 3

Section 9: Evaluating the Facility’s Staffing Needs

S

taff vacancies should be filled efficiently and
quickly to minimize burnout, which can lead to
the loss of additional employees. Because of ac­
cumulated fatigue, staff will likely become physically
and mentally exhausted more quickly during the re­
covery phase as opposed to the response phase. Staff
will require time away from the job to manage their
own affairs if they and their families have been seri­
ously impacted by the emergency.
In order to quickly fill staffing vacancies, special
arrangements might be made to accelerate the hir­
ing timeline. The facility’s lead official could request
special permission to suspend policies requiring a
minimum score on a preemployment exam for entrylevel work and instead hire staff who score within an
acceptable range of the minimum. However, require­
ments for safety or background checks should not be
waived under any circumstances.
The processes already in place to evaluate staffing
needs should continue throughout the response and

FEMA/Andrea Booher

recovery phases, but more frequent assessments are
recommended. The information gathered should be
discussed with supervisory floor staff and administra­
tors. An effective way to communicate staffing needs
might be to incorporate administrators into roll call on
a daily basis, especially in the initial days of the re­
covery phase. The evaluation of staffing needs should
be a standing item on the agenda for staff meetings.

S e c t i o n 9 : E v a l u a t i n g t h e F a c i l i t y ’s S t a f f i n g N e e d s / 3 5

Section 10: Offering Support to Youth and
Their Families

A

s facilities develop their emergency operations
plans, considerable thought should be given to
addressing the needs of youth and their families.
Particularly during major and long-term emergencies,
youth and their families will have a heightened need
for programming, services, and support to regain a
sense of stability and normalcy. In some cases, fami­
lies may need to evacuate their homes and perhaps
even the regions in which they live; these families will
urgently need to relay information to their children
about their location. Following are some examples of
emergency planning that will help alleviate the anxiety
of youth and their loved ones during an emergency.

Helping Youth To Contact Their Families
Youth in residential placement often experience an
intense need for communication with family and loved
ones during a crisis. Ordinarily, juvenile justice resi­
dential facilities have strict rules limiting the number
of phone calls youth are allowed per week. Once the
situation is stabilized, these rules should be relaxed to
allow youth to contact their families more frequently.
Staff can assist by setting reasonable limits on the
number of calls. This communication serves as assur­
ance for the family that their child is in a safe and
secure location; it also keeps youth up to date on their
families’ status.

Keeping Families Informed
Shortly after initial intake to the juvenile justice resi­
dential facility and the first contact with families, staff
should provide information about how emergencies
are handled. It is critical that families be made aware
of the steps the facility will take (e.g., fire drills, shelter­
in-place drills) to prepare for an emergency. Creating
emergency information packets or a video/DVD with
this information might be an efficient way to provide
families with an overview of procedures for handling
emergencies.
Families can be sources of valuable information as
well. A survey or focus group could be organized
on family visitation days to solicit emergency contact
information and families’ recommendations for the
most effective methods for communicating with fami­
lies, for ensuring regular contact with their children,
and for continuing structured youth activities follow­
ing an emergency until regular programming can be
resumed.

Shutterstock® Images

If the facility has designated hours on specific days of
the week for family visits, it may pose a hardship on
families affected by a major emergency. Facility staff
should consider a more flexible visiting schedule, to
the extent that staffing will allow. Given the difficulty of
contacting family during major emergencies and the
importance of such contacts for youth and their fami­
lies, it is essential that ordinary rules limiting visits be
suspended (within reason). The benefits of this may be

S e c t i o n 1 0 : O f f e r i n g S u p p o r t t o Yo u t h a n d T h e i r F a m i l i e s / 3 7

more important than other services typically scheduled
for that time period. During and following a disaster,
youth and family stress can be reduced when family
members have the opportunity to see each other and
be assured that they are safe.
After an event, youth may be unable to reach family
members at their normal phone numbers, especially
during emergencies that necessitate a mass evacu­
ation. Facilities should have procedures in place
(possibly a toll-free national line) to enable families
to contact the facility to report on their status and
provide updated contact information. However, if the
family has not been in touch with the facility or youth
throughout the event, facilities should assist youth in
reestablishing contact with their families. For more
information, see the sidebar entitled “Resources for
Family Reunification.”

Providing Structured Activities for Youth
As staff and residents make the transition from the
emergency response phase to recovery, the facility’s
lead officials should allow for flexibility in service
organization and delivery. Staff shortages and other
problems, such as physical plant malfunctions and
power outages, will most likely require adjustments
to regular activities. However, each day should ap­
proximate as much as possible the typical day a
youth experienced before the emergency.

Resources for Family Reunification
Facilities should be familiar with established tools that can
help assist with family reunification. In a federally declared
disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency may
activate the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator
System and the National Emergency Child Locator Center
to allow people who have been displaced and separated
from their families to register and provide information about
themselves and where they can be found (fema.gov). The
American Red Cross operates Safe and Well (safeandwell.
communityos.org/cms), which allows people displaced by
a disaster to self-register and provide current contact informa­
tion. In addition, Google may activate its similar system,
Person Finder (google.com/crisisresponse/resources.html).

FEMA/Bob McMillan

After an emergency, lead officials and department
heads should assess staffing needs, establish ap­
propriate locations for programs and services, and
create and disseminate a schedule of daily activities.
These schedules should be posted in strategic loca­
tions around the facility. It is important to consider the
unique needs of evacuated youth; they will need to
reenroll in school, participate in recreational activities,
receive support from volunteers, and be visited by
their families. As soon as possible, contact with fami­
lies, probation officers, and juvenile court officials;
substance abuse treatment; and spiritual care should
be resumed.
Although detained youth may require substantial sup­
port to help them recover from a major emergency,
youth can also be part of the solution: they can use
their skills in helping to rebuild the facility and assist­
ing with cleanup and rebuilding efforts in the commu­
nity to the extent that doing so is safe and practical.
During formal group sessions or informal check-ins
or conversations in the dormitory, staff can gather
input from youth about which activities and functions
they feel need to be put in place quickly. Youth might
help make improvements to their surroundings (e.g.,
painting, decorating, rearranging furniture, cleaning).
Those who are enrolled in vocational programming
or who hold a vocational certificate could use their
acquired skills to improve the quality of life for them­
selves and their peers.

3 8 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 11: Meeting the Needs of Staff and
Their Families

E

mergencies can be particularly challenging for
staff as they attempt to balance their obligations
to their families with those to the facility and its
residents. Because many staff are assigned to critical
roles that involve the direct supervision of youth, plans
must be made well ahead of time to ensure that staff’s
families are safe and that staff continue to be paid
during an emergency. The personal needs of staff must
be carefully considered in order to ensure that they
are able to carry out their duties at the facility.
FEMA/Jerry DeFelice

Encouraging Staff To Create Family
Emergency Plans
Staff should be encouraged to establish plans (includ­
ing backup plans) for their families, review the plans
annually, and make necessary adjustments to the
plans as circumstances change. Planning ahead in this
way will help staff to remain calm in the event that an
emergency affects their family while they are on call
at the facility. It will also enable staff to carry out their
professional responsibilities during an emergency. An
employee who has not planned for the safety or evac­
uation of his family may not be able to report for work
during an essential time. Information about creating
a family emergency plan is available on the Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Web site,
at fema.gov/plan/prepare/plan.shtm.

Ensuring That Staff Continue To Be Paid
During an emergency, payment of staff is often initially
overlooked because of other critical needs. However,
plans for continued payment must be made ahead
of time so that staff and their families can meet their
basic needs and remain financially secure. In major
emergencies, staff may need to use their pay to sub­
sidize their families’ stay at a hotel or other costly

venues, and payment must be available to cover these
expenditures.
Payroll offices are increasingly requiring the use of
direct deposits. This system is very practical during
an evacuation, as it will eliminate the need to send
staff to a designated area to retrieve paychecks and
then find a place to cash them. This may not even be
possible if local banks are affected by the emergency
and are closed as a result. Whatever option is used,
methods must be established to ensure that payment of
staff continues throughout the emergency.

Allowing Staff To Exercise Control
During the response phase of an emergency, staff
often face the challenge of making critical decisions
as circumstances evolve minute by minute. Although
the importance of following the written plan for the
emergency response must be emphasized, employees
should be granted the flexibility to use their own judg­
ment in making decisions that are in the best interest
of the residents, the staff, and the facility as a whole.
If all decisions must be channeled through an ap­
proval process, there will be delays in critical action
steps and missed opportunities to effectively address

Section 11: Meeting the Needs of Staff and Their Families / 39

the emergency. Many of these staff-directed decisions
can be reviewed in a daily debriefing and in ongoing
training throughout the year.
Staff should also be encouraged to adjust their work
schedules and the dress code to accommodate the
requirements of an emergency. Staff might be allowed
to use flex-time in order to not only meet the special
emergency needs of the juvenile justice residential fa­
cility, but also to address their own personal or family
concerns. In addition, if staff have offices in a section
of the facility that has been damaged, staff should be
consulted about their preferences regarding an alter­
nate work location.

Arranging for Housing
Although the recovery phase for many emergencies
is brief and alternate housing for staff often is not
required, in major emergencies staff may have signifi­
cant short- or long-term housing needs as a result of
homes being damaged or destroyed. Staff may need
assistance in locating suitable housing that meets the
needs of their families and allows them to remain in
proximity to the facility so they can continue perform­
ing their regular job duties. This may pose a signifi­
cant challenge if facilities are forced to relocate to a
remote location for an extended period following an
emergency. Facilities can assist staff by helping to find
suitable housing stock in the area. In addition, FEMA,
state agencies, and/or case management programs
may be able to provide assistance to staff to help
locate suitable housing options.

4 0 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

Section 12: Managing Volunteers

V

olunteers can be a tremendous asset to a juvenile
justice residential facility following an emergency.
All potential volunteers should be screened and
approved according to the facility’s requirements,
especially volunteers who may have direct contact
with youth. They should receive heightened scrutiny
to ensure that they have the best interests of the youth
in mind. The facility’s approved volunteers can play a
valuable role as mentors and as a source of emotional
support to youth. Volunteers who have not yet been
screened can assist with other critical tasks, including
providing food, clothing, personal items, and other
necessities.
During the planning phase, facility staff may want to
identify community and faith-based organizations
as resources for volunteers who can be activated in
times of emergency. Outreach activities to encourage

FEMA/Dave Saville

volunteer services should be conducted well in ad­
vance of an emergency; this will help ensure the ap­
propriate screening of volunteers and the provision of
high-quality services.

S e c t i o n 1 2 : M a n a g i n g Vo l u n t e e r s / 4 1

Conclusion


E

ffective emergency management requires col­
laboration at all levels—from the facility’s senior
officials, to department heads, to the staff who
work in the dormitories, recreation areas, classrooms,
and medical units. Commitment from the facility’s
leadership is especially important to establishing emer­
gency planning as a top priority in the facility and
integrating the planning with the facility’s policies and
procedures. Collaboration must also extend outward
from the facility to a range of stakeholders in the sur­
rounding community and region.
Juvenile justice residential facilities may find that the
organizational tasks involved in comprehensively
preparing for emergencies have the added benefit of

improving day-to-day operations. The close coordina­
tion that is intrinsic to emergency planning can have
a ripple effect as operations become more efficient
and as risk to the facility’s physical plant is reduced
through appropriate prevention/mitigation measures.
Emergency preparedness is a continuous and, at
times, complex process. The challenges may seem
daunting. However, careful planning is critical to pro­
tecting youth and staff from injury and trauma, to con­
tinuing essential functions at juvenile justice residential
facilities, and to minimizing disruptions to daily activi­
ties in the event of an emergency. Comprehensive
preparedness for a range of emergencies is not an
option, but a fundamental responsibility.

C o n c l us i o n

/ 43

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4 8 / Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Washington, DC 20531
Official Business
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