Emergency Planning & Safety
Emergencies can occur at the most inopportune times and take many forms. From severe weather to responding to a behavioral health crisis, being prepared with a plan that has been created by your school’s team and local partners, approved by your trustees, and practiced by your school community is vital to increasing student and staff safety. Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) provide guidance and practical solutions on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergency situations. This planning process helps schools minimize injuries and property damage during an incident and expedites the recovery process following an incident.
The resources, tools, and professional development opportunities included on the web pages below are designed to help schools prepare for and respond to emergency situations.
Current Montana law regarding emergency planning in schools: MCA 20-1-401
Please find the current Gun Free Schools Act data for Montana: GFSA 2020–2021
Standard Response Protocols: Situational Awareness Emergency Checklist for Schools
In partnership with safety experts from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, Montana Disaster and Emergency Services, and the Montana Safe School Center, the OPI is pleased to make available the Standard Response Protocols: Situational Awareness Emergency Checklist to Montana schools.
This checklist is an updated version of the “All Hazards Emergency Checklist” resource that was commonly used by Montana schools as a guidance document for responding to emergency situations. This updated resource includes the latest guidance on school safety protocols and features new emergency checklists that were not previously featured.
Access the Standard Response Protocols:
Situational Awareness Emergency Checklist
Montana AED Reimbursement Program
In 2025, the Montana Legislature passed HB 869, which appropriated a grant fund for school districts for reimbursement of the purchase and ongoing maintenance of automatic external defibrillators (AED).
The grant program provides a reimbursement of $1 for every $1 paid by a school district, up to a maximum state contribution of $700 per AED. The funds will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis in two grant periods. The first grant application period closes October 15, 2025, and each school district can receive up to $700 in the first grant application period for an AED or AED maintenance. School districts can apply for additional reimbursements in the second grant application period, where any remaining funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The second application period opens January 15, 2026, and closes March 15, 2026.
Reimbursement requests will be reviewed monthly after the 15th of each month, with reimbursement sent to districts by the 15th of the following month. School districts will be notified of eligible or non-eligible reimbursement submissions.
Application: https://montanaopi.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9tRlBi8bjsV3t7E
AED Reimbursement Grant Windows
| Open Date | Close Date | Restrictions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Window 1 | July 18 | October 15 | Each school district can reimburse up to $700. |
| Grant Window 2 | January 15 | March 15 | First come, first served until funds are exhausted. Up to $700 per AED. |
Questions about the AED Reimbursement Program?
Contact Christy Mock-Stutz, Assistant Chief Program Officer at christy.mock-stutz@mt.gov
Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Director at katie.bloodgood@mt.gov
Montana Code Annotated 20-1-402 : There must be at least eight disaster drills a year in a school. Drills must be held at different hours of the day or evening to avoid distinction between drills and actual disasters.
School bus evacuation drills must be conducted at least twice per school year and must include all students, whether they ride to and from school or not. The 2022 Montana School Bus Standards contains additional school bus safety information and guidance on conducting bus evacuations. Guidance for school bus safety has been adopted by the Board of Public Education .
Montana Code Annotated 20-1-402 : There must be at least eight disaster drills a year in a school. Drills must be held at different hours of the day or evening to avoid distinction between drills and actual disasters.
School bus evacuation drills must be conducted at least twice per school year and must include all students, whether they ride to and from school or not. The 2022 Montana School Bus Standards contains additional school bus safety information and guidance on conducting bus evacuations. Guidance for school bus safety has been adopted by the Board of Public Education .
General Information and Resources for Drills and Exercises
Drills and Exercise Development
Start here: This Drill & Exercise Development worksheet provides schools with a planning template for selecting and conducting disaster drills and safety exercises. This worksheet also helps schools identify who should be involved in conducting the drill, including community public safety agencies and first responders.
Trauma-informed Drills
It is important that schools prepare for disasters while maintaining feelings of security at school. Some drills may not be appropriate for all students or all school staff. Please review this guidance for more information .
Safety and Security Assessment
This checklist provides schools with a list of items that can be checked and/or considered in order to maintain a physically safe school environment and a planning template to address concerns.
Standard Response Protocols
After-Action Report Templates
It is important for schools to reflect on the effectiveness of a drill, safety exercise, or actual emergency situation after it occurs. This helps schools identify areas where things went well and areas where changes may need to be made to better prepare and respond in the future.
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After a Drill – Action Report Example: This fillable template guides school staff in reflecting after a drill is conducted in order to identify what went well during the drill (areas of strength) and what could be improved (areas of weakness) to further strengthen a school's emergency operations plan.
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After an Emergency – Action Report Example: This fillable document can be used to document the events that lead to an emergency and the actions taken during and after an emergency. This form can then be used to guide a school's future emergency operations planning.
Professional Development and Training Opportunities:
The Teacher Learning Hub is an online learning platform that provides high-quality professional learning for Montana educators. All courses are free to access and renewal units can be earned (note: you must set up a free account before you can access the courses).
- Suicide Prevention for Schools : The course provides an overview of suicide prevention through PEACE protocols.
National Center for School Safety
The National Center for School Safety partners with many federal agencies to provide free and low-cost trainings , including live and recorded webinars by school safety topic, and learning communities .
The Department of Homeland Security
The Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) Campus Resilience (CR) Program's Exercise Starter Kits are self-conducted tabletop exercises (TTX).
FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
The EMI training facility in Emmitsburg, Maryland provides trainings to school emergency management teams and local partners in all aspects of developing comprehensive Emergency Operations Plans. Contact the Office of Public Instruction for information on how your school's emergency management team can apply to attend a course in Maryland.
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) TA Center
A national technical assistance center for “schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs), with their community partners, in the development of high-quality emergency operations plans (EOPs) and comprehensive emergency management planning efforts”.
Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) help schools prevent emergencies from taking place, better prepare for when emergencies do happen, and respond more efficiently during an emergency. After an emergency, schools with an EOP are better positioned to take steps to recover.
Current Montana law regarding emergency planning in schools: MCA 20-1-401
Six Step Process for Emergency Operations Planning
Site Assessments: As part of Step 2 in an emergency operations planning process, schools are encouraged to conduct a site assessment to examine the safety, accessibility, and emergency preparedness of a school building and campus.
Guides and Toolkits
The tools and resources below provide schools with the basics for developing their own emergency operations plans:
- Cultural Considerations: When planning for emergencies, it is important to consider the cultural beliefs and values of students, school staff, and the community. If your school serves American Indian students, understanding tribally specific beliefs and practices can better prepare school staff to communicate about emergency planning. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides guidance on American Indian and Alaska Native disaster preparedness .
- Emergency Go Kits : Schools can use this checklist to create Emergency Go Kits for their schools and classrooms in the event of an emergency that requires evacuation of the building.
- Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) Assess : This tool is designed to help schools assess their current emergency operations plan (EOP) and identify potential areas of improvement. This tool is best suited for schools that have an EOP and are looking to strengthen their current plan.
- Guide for Developing a High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans : This step-by-step guide walks schools through the entire emergency operations planning process. FEMA also provides a sample school EOP .
- Montana Safety Rubric : In addition to general safety planning, this document can guide school districts working to prioritize their ESSA Title IV-A funds through a self-assessment of their school’s safety structure, including physical environment, culture and climate, and psychological and emotional health before, during, and after an emergency.
- Recovery for Schools and School Districts : This fact sheet provides information about the four components of recovery for schools: academic recovery, physical and structural recovery, business functions recovery, and social, emotional, and behavioral recovery.
- A Guide to Choosing Programs, Policies or Practices . Choosing programs, policies, and practices from national evidence-based databases that align with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
- Communicable Disease in Schools
- Food Safety
- Guidance Concerning State and Local Responsibilities Under the Gun-Free Schools Act
- Gun Safety
- Montana Disaster and Emergency Services
- A Parent's Guide to School Safety
- Educators: Explore Educational Resources/Curriculum (FEMA – Ready.gov)
- Safety and Security: How to Develop and Align Your Afterschool Safety Plan
- SchoolSafety.gov The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created SchoolSafety.gov to share actionable recommendations to keep school communities safe. The site was created by the federal government to provide schools and districts with actionable recommendations to create a safe and supportive learning environment where students can thrive and grow.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity ransomware hub
Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety: Guidance for Montana Schools
This guidance document was developed in partnership with the Montana School Safety Advisory Committee in 2020. It was adapted from a report published by the Department of Justice.
The Montana School Safety Advisory Committee and the Office of Public Instruction will continue to add resources to this page to provide Montana schools with the tools they need to keep schools safe and connected.
Creating a positive school climate is one of the most important steps a school can take to improving school safety. A positive school climate emphasizes connectedness and equality, with every student and staff member feeling like a valued member of the school community. Providing time for students to develop positive relationships with school staff and embracing the cultural beliefs and values of each student can help create a positive school climate.
Resources:
- Creating a Safe and Connected School Climate: Recommendations made by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education on how to create a safe and connected school climate.
By establishing a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), schools can address the range of behavioral health needs of students. School-wide Tier 1 supports can positively impact the wellbeing of all students and help prevent behavioral health concerns from developing. When behavioral health concerns do arise, having the necessary partnerships and protocols in place to appropriately respond to the student’s changing level of need across the MTSS framework (Tier 2 and Tier 3) is essential to making school safer.
Resources:
- Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Framework for Montana schools
- Strategies for Promoting Educator and Student Safety and Wellness During Online Learning : Information on available resources and strategies schools can implement to promote safety and wellness during online learning.
- School Mental Health : Resources for supporting and promoting school mental health.
- Mental Health : Strategies to consider and resources for improving access to mental health services in schools.
When a student or staff member displays or reports concerning behaviors, it is important that schools have protocols in place to assess the potential safety risk and respond quickly and appropriately. Schools are encouraged to form a multidisciplinary team and establish standard procedures, such as a threat assessment or school-wide screening protocols, to identify students and staff who may be experiencing distress and link them to the supports necessary to keep everyone safe. Schools can also post state and national crisis lines in highly visible places to improve school safety.
Resources:
- Montana’s Crisis Action Toolkit on Suicide (CAST-S) : Strategies and toolkits for schools to use to prevent and respond to suicide.
- Montana Crisis Phone Contacts : National and regional crisis response phone lines.
Schools can improve safety by creating bidirectional communication channels between the school and the community. It is important students, families, and staff know who to contact if they observe any perceived threats to school safety, including the potential of a student or staff member to harm him/herself or others. Some schools have established anonymous reporting systems or tip lines, where anyone can report a concern at any time.
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans: guidance on forming a school communication plan
Students and staff are likely spending an increasing amount of time online during and outside of school hours. Schools are encouraged to develop policies to prevent and address cyberbullying and other online behaviors that may pose a risk to school safety. Schools are also encouraged to routinely update those policies as technology and online behaviors change, and to involve students in the process of developing these policies.
Resources:
- Bully Free Montana : Resources for parents, students, and schools to address bullying in schools and online.
- Bullying and Cyberbullying : Strategies, guidance, and tools to prevent and mitigate bullying.
A comprehensive school emergency operations plan (EOP) is foundational to improving school safety. EOPs should begin with a risk and resource assessment to identify potential safety threats and existing resources to help address those threats. It is important to establish a multidisciplinary team to conduct the assessments and develop a plan for prioritizing potential threats. Creating a county-wide team can help ensure all available skills and resources are utilized.
Resources:
- Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) website: Resources for creating an EOP in Montana schools, provided on this webpage above.
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and local and tribal health departments are important partners for preventing and responding to school safety threats, especially natural disasters. Schools are encouraged to include LEPCs and local and tribal health departments in their EOPs and utilize the emergency preparedness and recovery services that may be available.
Resources:
- Montana Department of Emergency Services Primary coordinators contact information
- Montana local and tribal health department contact information
It is important schools communicate with those who will respond in an emergency situation before an emergency takes place. Schools are encouraged to involve first responders and local and tribal law enforcement in the development of their EOP and disaster drill trainings. Establishing methods for communication before, during, and after an emergency is important for minimizing harm.
Resources:
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans : Guidance for working with first responders and law enforcement.
There is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution for school security, and decisions about implementing security measures should be informed by a risk assessment and included as part of the school EOP. At a minimum, it is recommended that schools take steps to make it easy to find and navigate to specific locations within a school campus. One example of this is implementing a classroom numbering system that is easily visible from inside and outside of the school building(s).
Resources:
- Site Assessment : A site assessment examines the safety, accessibility, and emergency preparedness of school buildings and grounds.
Practicing disaster drills can better prepare students and staff to follow procedures and safely react in emergency situations. Schools are encouraged to use their EOP to inform their plan for carrying out disaster drills. It is also important to consider who participates in which drills; it may not be beneficial to have students participate in all drills.
Resources:
- Montana Code Annotated 20-1-402 : Requirement for at least eight disaster drills a year.
- Refer to the "Drills & Exercises" section above on this webpage to integrate them into overall school emergency management planning.
This helpline provides counseling and support to anyone experiencing emotional distress related to a natural or human-caused disaster, 24 hours a day.
- Call 1-800-985-5990
- Text "TalkWithUs" to 66746
Air Quality
- Outdoor Activities Based on Air Quality – Guidance on when to limit outdoor activities and planning considerations for schools.
Bus Accident
- OPI Pupil Transportation – OPI guidance on bus driver training and forms for responding to accidents involving school buses.
Cyber Security
- Cyber Security Event – Planning guidance on preventing and responding to a cyber security breach.
Death of a Student or Staff Member
- Coping with a Sudden Death – Guidance for responding to the death of a student, including role descriptions and checklists at various administrative levels.
- Informing Students of a Tragedy – Guidance on forming messaging for students and staff.
- Protocol for Death of Student/Staff Member – Step-by-step guidance on communicating about the death of a student or staff member, including sample messages for principals.
Earthquake
- The Great Montana ShakeOut – Resources for planning earthquake drills.
Severe Weather
- Severe Weather Safety and Social Media Toolkit – Toolkit for preparing for severe weather events.
The Office of Public Instruction understands schools’ need for reliable and useful resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a potential school shooter event. Schools can prepare for a possible school intruder by engaging in a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Preparation well before an event will not only reduce the risk of an intruder targeting your school, it will also reduce the loss of life and property in the event of an incident. The following four principles will help guide you:
- Develop and maintain a working Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
- Develop and maintain a working partnership with local law enforcement, including scheduling active shooter trainings with them since they will be the first to respond.
- Develop and maintain a working partnership with your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), and join their regular meetings to collaborate with the numerous local emergency management organizations.
- Develop and maintain a working relationship with your local Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) Coordinator.
Universal
- Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) Coordinator : The DES Coordinator creates the county’s Emergency Operations Plan. Your county’s DES coordinator can provide county emergency management information that may be important while your school develops a school emergency operations plan (EOP). The DES coordinator can also help you coordinate and collaborate with other county emergency management organizations.
- Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs): School representatives may join your local LEPC to coordinate efforts to help in preparing for potential emergencies. Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. Plans are developed by LEPCs with stakeholder participation. The LEPC membership must include (at a minimum):
- Elected state and local officials
- Police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals
- Environment, transportation, and hospital officials
- Facility representatives
- Representatives from community groups and the media
To find your LEPC, please contact your local DES Coordinator.
- Local Law Enforcement: In the event of an active shooter, your local law enforcement will be the first to respond. It is vital that you have a working relationship with law enforcement on an ongoing basis. Law enforcement can conduct a walk-through of your buildings to familiarize themselves with the unique characteristics of your buildings and answer questions such as:
- How will law enforcement enter the school if it is under a lockdown?
- Who will communicate with law enforcement?
- What are law enforcement’s expectations of your school’s staff and students during an incident?
- Montana Safety Rubric : This document will guide school districts working to prioritize their ESSA Title IV-A funds through a self-assessment of their school’s safety structure, including physical environment, culture and climate, and psychological and emotional health before, during, and after an emergency.
- Montana School Resource Officers
- Safe and Supportive Schools and Positive School Climate
- Sign-In/Sign-Out Procedures: Things to consider include: What are the school’s sign-in and sign-out procedures? Where do visitors sign in and sign out? Who provides them access? Where do they access the building to pick up their children? What are the procedures to determine if the person is allowed in the building? How are children signed out at the end of the day? Who can pick them up? Does the school offer after-school activities? How are children signed in and out after the regular school day?
- Staff, Substitutes, Student, Guardian, and Guest Trainings: Trainings and “need-to-know” information regarding a school intruder should be provided to all the necessary members within the school community. Talk with your local law enforcement for guidance on information that is appropriate to share with each group.
Targeted
- Drills & Exercises
- Emergency Operations Plans
- Threat Assessment Protocols
Intensive
- About School Shootings : Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
- Ready.gov – Describes what to do if you find yourself in an active shooter event, how to recognize signs of potential violence around you, and what to expect after an active shooting takes place. During an active shooting, remember to RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency : Emergency Management Institute (EMI): IS 907 Active Shooter: What Can You Do? (coursework).
- FEMA Multi-Hazard Planning for Schools : Checklists, documents, and other useful information for a wide array of potential emergencies, including an intruder.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation: Active Shooter Resources
- I Love U Guys Foundation
Resources for Supporting Students, Families, and School Staff After a Tragic Event : It is important that students, families, and school staff feel safe in their schools and communities. Following a tragic event, it may be challenging for a school to maintain and foster feelings of safety. To assist schools during these challenging times, we have compiled these best-practice recommendations and resources schools may consider using.
For additional resources, please see the OPI's School Mental Health website and resources .
Creating School and Community Partnerships
To support students, families, and school staff, a school may consider developing a partnership with an organization operating within the community. The video below outlines why and how a school can form a partnership with a community organization and how to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize the partnership. To support school and community partnerships, we have also created:
Supporting Students and Preventing Violence: Recognizing and Responding to Concerning Student Behaviors
Recognizing and Responding to Concerning Student Behaviors : Everyone within a school and community plays a role in maintaining safety and supporting the wellbeing of students. This guide was developed to help recognize student behaviors that may indicate a cause for concern and how to respond to a student who may be in crisis.
Creating a Safe and Connected School Climate
According to the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education, creating a safe and connected school climate is the best way to prevent acts of violence from occurring in school. Watch this video for more information or check out the full report (pages 69–72). You may also check out the OPI's Positive School Climate and Whole Child Supports pages for strategies to build positive relationships in schools.
10 Key Findings from the Safe School Initiative
The Safe School Initiative examined incidents of targeted school violence by looking backward from the time the incident took place to identify the events and factors that led to the incident. The findings from this work suggest there are actions that educators, law enforcement, and others can take to prevent targeted school violence from occurring. Check out the video below or read the full report from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education .
School Threat Assessment and Intervention Teams
Throughout the state, many schools are taking steps to make schools safer while simultaneously supporting student well-being. Implementing a threat assessment is one example of these efforts. Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) protocols are required per MCA 20-1-401 .
A threat assessment is a violence prevention strategy that aims to:
- Identify students who may be planning to commit an act of violence.
- Determine the seriousness of the threat of violence.
- Intervene to prevent the act from occurring and address the underlying problem or conflict.
We invite you to watch this video to learn more about school-based threat assessments and why they are beneficial for supporting students and school safety. Please also review the report, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model , for more information on how to implement a threat assessment and intervention process in your school. While there is no one-size-fits-all template that works for every school, the federal Department of Education provides this Word document as a BTAM template schools can modify to fit their needs.
Recognizing and Responding to Concerning Behaviors
Many people who are planning to carry out an act of violence display threatening or concerning behaviors that are observable to others prior to the violent incident. This graphic shows the most common threatening or concerning behaviors and the level of concern that the behavior may indicate. Violence prevention is most effective when it occurs early. Do not ignore concerning behaviors that may indicate someone is in distress and in need of assistance. Click here to download the one-pager on identifying threatening or concerning behaviors.
Recognizing and Responding to Concerning Student Behaviors : Everyone within a school and community plays a role in maintaining safety and supporting the wellbeing of students. This guide was developed to help recognize student behaviors that may indicate a cause for concern and how to respond to a student who may be in crisis.
Active Shooter Resources and Support
While highly publicized when they occur, acts of violence in schools are extremely rare. In fact, for the vast majority of children, school is the safest place they will ever go. However, preparing for an active shooter or other form of violence is in everyone's best interest and can create peace of mind for students, caregivers, and school staff.
For more information, please check out our webpage dedicated to Active Shooter Resources and Support .
Guidance Concerning State and Local Responsibilities
Under the Gun-Free Schools Act
Persistently Dangerous Schools
Pursuant to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Office of Public Instruction has adopted this operational definition of a "persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school" , updated on November 5, 2020.
Creating a Safe and Connected School Climate for American Indian Students
Creating a Safe and Connected School Climate for American Indian Students: Guidance for Montana Schools Developed with Montana Students : A positive school climate, where students feel safe and connected, is critically important to academic success as well as emotional wellbeing. The recommendations featured in this guide are informed by available research and the lived experiences of a group of Montana urban American Indian students.
Student School Safety Recommendations
The video below features quotes from a group of students who were engaged in conversations about school safety. A larger student voice initiative followed, resulting in the OPI's Student Voice website and resources .
OPI Staff Are Here to Help
Sarah Music, Coordinated School Health Unit Director