Once you know who your community partners will be, form an emergency preparedness task force to get the information you need to write your comprehensive plan. The program director may lead the task force or assign this responsibility to someone else. Your task force will include staff and partners who can help determine your program’s risks, vulnerabilities, and resources. Invite people from your program and community who represent diverse roles and perspectives to join your task force. This may include staff, administrators, facilities managers, families, mental health professionals, public health officials, and emergency services workers. Consider also inviting representatives from your local school district and your local emergency management agency. They may already have ways to support your program in an emergency.
Decide how often your task force will meet and set a timeline for making your plan and submitting it to your board, governing body, or Tribal Council for approval.
Keep Mental Health in Mind
A mental health consultant can help your emergency preparedness task force focus on mental health issues while you’re planning.
Work with your emergency preparedness task force to understand:
Emergency preparedness task force meetings can help you build relationships to support your program before, during, and after a disaster.
- Common hazards in your local area
- Local emergency services and response systems
- Local community preparedness activities
- Alerts and warnings your program can sign up to get
- Resources to prepare for emergencies
- Recommendations for emergency supplies and safety equipment
- Information on child and adult mental health
Your task force may create teams or committees for specific emergency preparedness tasks. For example, you may set up a facility disaster management team to get your facility ready for natural disasters.
Last Updated: June 13, 2025