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Resources Concerning School-Related Terrorism

  • By Michael Dorn, Chris Dorn
  • 11/01/04

United States Department of Education

Practical Information on Crisis Planning – A Guide For Schools and Communities


United States Department of Homeland Security

For campus officials, most of the relevant resources and information available will be geared toward antiterrorism efforts.


Federal Emergency Management Agency

The lead federal agency for emergency preparedness can provide a wide range of federally funded training, free online training programs and information.


Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms


The bureau provides excellent free information, manuals, technical assistance and training concerning bomb threats and explosives.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC provides excellent information concerning bioterrorism.


Department of Health and Human Services

This agency also provides information relating to bioterrorism issues./p>


State Police

In many states, state police personnel can provide free training and technical assistance, training and tactical response to actual incidents of terrorism.


State Emergency Management Agencies

State emergency management agencies in most states can provide free technical assistance, assist with the development of emergency operations plans, aid in coordinating, conducting and evaluating emergency drills and exercises and will respond to provide support following incidents. To find your state point of contact, visit the web site of the National Emergency Management Association at


State Public Health Agencies

State public health agencies can often provide free training and technical assistance relating to bioterrorism issues.


Local Law Enforcement Agencies

Can provide assistance in emergency operations planning, preventive efforts, and in many cases training for staff.


Local Emergency Management Agencies

Local emergency management officials can assist with hazard analysis, emergency preplanning, emergency operations planning, drills and exercises.


Local Public Health Agencies

These agencies can often provide training and technical assistance relating to bioterrorism as well as naturally occurring biological and accidental contamination incidents.


Fire Departments

Frequently, fire service personnel can provide excellent training and technical assistance in a variety of areas. Of particular concern are topics relating to incident command and hazardous materials.


Emergency Medical Services

Like the other agencies listed in this section, emergency medical services personnel can be tremendous assets in planning, particularly when planning for mass casualty incidents.


Coroner /Medical Examiner

A representative from this field can also provide valuable input when planning for mass casualty situations.


Non profit organizations

There are numerous nonprofit organizations that can provide excellent training technical assistance and response support. Nationally recognized examples include the American Red Cross www.redcross.org, The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation www.icisf.org, and the National Organization for Victim’s Assistance www.trynova-org.



Source: Slaughter of Innocence – When Terrorism Comes to School by Michael and Chris Dorn, due for publication in January, 2005 Safe Havens International Press


About the Authors

Michael Dorn serves as the executive director for Safe Havens International, Inc., an IRS-approved, nonprofit safety center. He has authored and co-authored more than 20 books on campus safety. He can be reached through the Safe Havens website at www.safehavensinternational.org.


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