School Disaster and Emergency Management

Guidance, grants, training, and resources for local educational agencies (LEAs) related to the management of natural disasters and emergency hazards.

School Emergency Reporting System (SERS)

This tool is designed for local educational agencies (LEA) to report disaster impacts of their schools and request assistance. Utilizing this system will expedite resources to LEAs during the critical response phase of emergencies. Each LEA has a unique access code, so contact the Emergency Services Team if you need it.

SERS LEA Login
Recorded webinar of the School Emergency Reporting System Training (Video; 12:15).
Training Slides (PPTX)

Preparedness Ambassadors Program

The Preparedness Ambassadors curriculum is designed to engage 4th grade students to develop and promote disaster preparedness guidelines for their homes, schools, and local communities.

Statewide Wildfire Preparedness Webinar for Educational Entities

The largest, deadliest, and most destructive wildfires in California’s history have occurred in recent years, changing the lives of thousands. Schools were impacted by those fires, which affected whole communities. To prepare for the wildfire season, the California Department of Education partnered with other state agencies to provide the latest preparedness information. This presentation is directed at school districts, charter schools, private schools, and educational organizations that represent K-12 schools within the state.

2022 Statewide Wildfire Preparedness Webinar (Video; 1:48:43)

Disaster and Emergency Resources
Resources for local educational agencies (LEAs) related to emergency preparedness/mitigation, response and recovery associated with natural disasters and emergency situations.

Disaster Relief Grants

The following are disaster relief grants used to fund or reimburse schools that were impacted by natural disasters.

The following document lists federally-declared disasters or emergencies in 2018 and 2019 by county. These declared disasters and emergencies may qualify LEAs to receive local assistance awards from Restart and/or EIA. Note: The EIA grant serves LEAs that received and enrolled students displaced from their school of enrollment due to a qualifying disaster or emergency.

2018 and 2019 Federally-Declared Disasters or Emergencies (PDF)

Emergency Trainings

The following are training courses provided by state, federal and organizations to better prepare for natural disasters and emergency situations.

California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) , courses on:
- Disaster Recovery
- Disaster Mitigation
- Emergency Management Concepts
- and more!
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- FEMA - Independent Study
  - IS-100.c: Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS)
  - IS-200.b: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
  - IS-700.b: Introduction to National Incident Management System (NIMS)
  - IS-800.c: Introduction to the National Response Framework
- FEMA - All Available Courses
  - * E0300: ICS 300: Intermediate ICS
  - * E0400: ICS 400: Advanced Incident Command System
- ** FEMA - Emergency Management Institute School Program
  - FEMA 159 Earthquakes: A Teacher’s Package for K-6 (Tremor Troops)
  - Floodplain Management lesson plan for grades 7-12
  - E0360: Preparing for Emergencies: What School Staff Need to Know