The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has developed comprehensive guidelines for the New Orleans metropolitan area, including the Lafayette metropolitan area and 26% of Lake Charles. These guidelines are available for distribution through the Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (parochial OHSEP), the American Red Cross, and some United Way offices. Public elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana are required to prepare, maintain, and implement a crisis management and response plan to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and school employees in the event of an emergency or disaster. The GOHSEP also provides updates on Twitter and Facebook for citizens to stay informed.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services is responsible for coordinating with local, parish, tribal governments, state and federal entities, support agencies, and non-governmental organizations to address the needs of mass non-medical care, emergency assistance, housing, and human services of disaster victims. The REMS Technical Assistance Center website provides free resources, training, and technical assistance (TA) for schools and their community partners. Schools are responsible for the safety and care of students during emergency situations such as natural disasters or other potential hazards. The Emergency Management Institute offers self-paced courses designed for people with emergency management responsibilities as well as the general public.
In the event of an impending emergency, the LDOE will contact the designated emergency preparedness and recovery representative to remind them to complete and maintain the emergency preparedness and recovery panel throughout the emergency. Schools can access a six-step school emergency preparedness and management (REMS) process to create plans to continuously build and promote safe and healthy school communities before, during, and after potential emergencies.
