Schools and the Rapid Response Team
For many years, educators believed that when an emergency arose in the schools, a 911 phone call was all that was needed to handle the situation. Beginning with the tragic events in Littleton, Colorado, however, educators are now asking themselves: What is our duty of care until the emergency responders arrive (Hull 2000)? A number of educators and policy makers have come to the inescapable conclusion that when a school crisis emerges, the ôduty of careö entrusted to these public institutions mandates the development of what is known as a ôrapid response teamö that consists of school staff who have been specifically trained to respond to, control, and even ameliorate a crisis (Hull, 2000). This brief review of literature will consider what kinds of plans and actions are needed to ensure that a school can field a rapid response team (RRT) in the event of an emergency û emergencies that can range from gun-related violence to hostage-taking to bomb threats and beyond, each involving a threat to the safety and well-being of students, faculty and other stakeholders.
The problem is of significance. Lenckus (2001) reported that from 1992 through mid-May 2001, 240 students and adults were killed in shootings on or near school grounds in the United States. That number includes 56 suicides. Stabbing deaths ranked second, with 44 students and adults dying of stab wounds received at schools. At least 236 lawsuits were filed against schools in the past two years over violent incidents, most of them in state courts. With over 2,000 assaults occurring daily in American schools, the necessity of a school-specific crisis management and rapid response plan or team seems readily apparent.
Kline, Schonfield, and Lichtenstein (1995) stated that all too often, because schools fail to use preventive mental health and safety procedures, school staff have tended to handle crises as they arise, making deci...