You already practiced your plan using drills, as described in Step 2 of Staying Ready. Now, it's important to debrief with colleagues to review how the drills. Gather feedback on what worked and find areas to improve.
While you must choose a date for an annual review, the process of reviewing your plan should be ongoing. Revise it when you find areas for improvement through tabletop exercises, changes in your program or community resources, or after an actual emergency or disaster. Your revised plan may include changes in staffing, enrollment, equipment, facilities, community partnerships, and lessons learned from recent disasters. Don't forget to include staff, families, and community partners in the review so they can give feedback. Then, submit your updated plan to your board or governing body for approval.
Whenever you update your plan, your program’s emergency preparedness task force should give copies to families, staff, your Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee, and your local emergency management agency.
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Resource Type: Video
National Centers: Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety
Audience: Directors and Managers
Last Updated: June 13, 2025