Organizing and Leading a Safety Tabletop Simulation

The challenge to every school superintendent is how do you find the needed time to organize, assemble, participate in, and then debrief the tabletop work?

Best practice in your district should have at least one tabletop simulation per year that involves every stakeholder in your community.  The power of the simulation is really twofold:

• It offers a simulated learning experience of the problem of practice, and equally important,
• It brings together your safety leaders, and deeply strengthens relationships and partnerships.

If safety is a high priority under your leadership, the needed time to make this happen is under your watch and control.  In most cases, a simulation will last from two to four hours.  It is highly recommended to include parents, school board members, elected officials and representation from every emergency response group.

Ideally, planning is a partnership initiative with your local police chief or sheriff and with your office.

Please feel free to call 571-480-0313 as I would be more than willing to assist you with the planning stages of the work.

Respectfully,

Dr. Joseph Erardi

AASA Safety Consultant

Newtown Public Schools – Retired Superintendent