More than two decades after Arizona first required schools to adopt Emergency Operations Plans, a new state audit shows many campuses remain dangerously unprepared for active shooter events, natural disasters and other emergencies.
“Of the 47 schools that were audited, three didn’t have a plan at all,” said Mike Curtinbach, director of school safety at the Arizona Department of Education, who presented the findings to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. “The remaining 44 had plans, but none technically passed. The highest score was 17 out of 30 required standards.”
Standards for EOPs are jointly developed by the Arizona Department of Education and the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs . They are intended to ensure schools can both prevent and respond to emergencies, from