Home>Emergency Preparedness and Support > Crisis Response
Crisis Response
Effective crisis response is a team effort. In Fairfax County Public Schools, three offices play lead roles in shaping the organization's response to critical incidents. In any such event, these offices work with each other, with the leaders at the site, and with public safety officials to provide immediate and coordinated action.
Crisis management
Leading the immediate and long-term response to the incident itself is the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services' Office of Safety and Security (OSS). Sound planning and preparation is key.
- OSS has designed extensive materials to help FCPS schools and departments with this work, including the Crisis Management Workbook (PDF document) a training manual and resource for schools to use. Each school also constructs their own unique plan, using a provided customizable template. These school specific detailed plans are not available to the public for review, as provided by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- For additional security information, check the OSS fact sheets.
- For more information, contact Fred Ellis, director, Office of Safety and Security, fred.ellis@fcps.edu.
Crisis communications
Ensuring that students, staff members, parents, the media, and the community have accurate and timely information during a crisis is the responsibility of the Department of Communications and Community Outreach.
- The office is responsible for broadcast of all FCPS emergency messages.
- For more information, contact John Torre, jjtorre@fcps.edu
Crisis Intervention
Providing care and support for students and staff members affected by a crisis is led by crisis response teams staffed by school psychologists, social workers, and counselors.
- Resources for dealing with crisis
- For more information, contact Cindy Dickinson, coordinator for crisis intervention, cindy.dickinson@fcps.edu.