Introduction
Antioch Unified School District is one of the most successful school districts in the United States with regards to the implementation of the emergency response project (AUSD, 2011). Due to this fact, the school district received a grant from the ministry of education to sustain its projects (U.S Department of Education, 2010). The school district board has been using the money to improve on the current projects that it has been working on. It has also used the money to introduce new projects. This move is to ensure maximum safety of students while at school.
To be ready for disasters, the school district has a number of facilities and equipments. The facilities which the school district has include: incident command post, technology support, education technology, data systems, system support and maintenance and operations. These facilities ensure that the operations conducted by the project are, sustainable, effective and efficient. They play a critical role in prevention, preparedness and recovery during an emergency. The aim of this essay is to identify the facilities which the school district has, what is working and what should be improved.
Emergency response facilities
As stated earlier, Antioch Unified School District has a number of facilities which ensure that the disaster management programme is successful. The facilities of the school district aim at achieving several goals (AUSD, 2011). First, they aid in modernizing of constructions and projects to ensure increased preparedness and prevention of disasters. The facilities are also used in school designing, planning and building. They are also used to increase the awareness about safety and the need for individuals to be prepared just in case of an emergency.
The incident command post is working well. Every school in the district has an incident command post. In most schools, the incident command post is established in a central location for convenient communication in the event of a crisis. Communication is an important factor during a rescue mission and the fact that this facility is in good working condition at Antioch Unity School District indicates that the district is well prepared for any disaster.
The technology support and education support facilities of the school district are also in a good condition. These facilities have incorporated the use of information technology during an emergency or a disaster. They use technology to create emergency response awareness to teachers, students and other members of the society. They also have a database that contains information of teachers, students and other workers of the school. This makes it easy to account for people during search and rescue missions.
Despite the success which these facilities have, there are some improvements that have to be done to ensure that the emergency response programme is working well in the school district. These improvements will focus mainly on the technology support and education support facilities of the school district. For their operations to be effective and efficient, these facilities have to start using up to date equipment and technology. The computers which they use, their softwares, mode of teaching and decimating information and their rescue methods have to be improved. This will ensure that the school district is well prepared for emergencies.
Conclusion
The emergency response programme of Antioch School District is very successful. This is due to the effective and efficient facilities which they have put in place for the project. Most of these facilities are working well. However, there are some improvements which need to be done in order to ensure that the operations are more efficient in order to meet the present and future needs of the school district in times of crisis. The government, through the ministry of education should therefore grant the school district enough money to make these improvements.
References
AUSD (2011). District at a Glance. Antioch. Web.
U.S Department of Education (2010). U.S. Department of Education Awards $28.8 Million to School Districts To Improve Readiness and Emergency Response Plans. U.S Department of Education. Web.