Schools are a large part of our community in Johnson County. With 20-25% of the community in and out of schools each day, no other institution has more interface, which is why we have identified them as one of five key groups to engage at a deeper level.

The preparedness level of schools, along with businesses, community organizations, large venues, and vulnerable populations, has a direct impact on the preparedness of the whole community and is important to the people they serve.

Additionally, each has unique needs and considerations, warranting a tailored approach to emergency preparedness for each group. For example, children make up the majority of the population in schools, making schools especially vulnerable to the impacts of disasters.

Johnson County Emergency Management has developed a targeted community outreach initiative to more closely engage specific areas of our community, as mentioned above. For each of the identified groups, we have organized a meeting that brings together similar organizations along with representatives from emergency management and public safety.

The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Strengthen relationships between emergency management and community partners,
• Increase awareness regarding preparedness levels and specific needs,
• Share information about existing preparedness efforts, available resources, and best practices, and
• Identify opportunities to work together in strengthening the culture of preparedness in our community.

Some of these groups are very broad and therefore it makes sense to break them down into smaller groups. We have divided "schools" into four subgroups: public schools, private schools, higher education, and child care/early education. After initial meetings with each subgroup, many have had subsequent meetings. See below for key considerations identified at the meetings.

If you are an individual or organization that represents the "schools and child care" group and you would like to join this conversation, please contact us and let us know how you would like to be involved.