Emergency Planning and Response
The Office of Emergency Planning and Response (EPR) develops emergency procedures to ensure the safety of our students and staff. EPR is an integral part of the Division of Operations and works closely with the Office of Safety and Prevention Partnerships.
EPR coordinates with outside agencies including, but not limited to, NYPD, FDNY and NYC Office of Emergency Management to develop and maintain protocols for interagency cooperation in the event of an emergency that affects schools or school communities. EPR informs and engages the Central Response Team as necessary to support schools. EPR staff conduct professional development for school, field, and Central staff on emergency management policy and procedures.
As part of its mission, EPR operates an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate emergency response in real time.
Emergency Operations Center
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) does intake by phone or email to coordinate response to incidents that disrupt, or have the potential to disrupt, school operations. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. The EOC call takers create an email chain that informs all relevant stakeholders who may be called upon to support the school and informs DOE leadership for their awareness within 15 minutes of receiving report of an emergency. The EOC maintains a database of information on emergencies and updates the information as the situation changes.
The EOC can be reached at (718) 233-8515 or by email at EOC@schools.nyc.gov.
Who Should Contact the EOC
- Directors of Facilities
- Deputy Directors of Facilities
- Custodian Engineers
- Office of Pupil Transportation staff
- Office of Food and Nutrition Services staff
- Superintendents or designees
All NYC employees are permitted to call emergencies into the EOC.
Who Does the EOC Notify?
- All operating divisions (DSF, OPT, OFNS OSYD)
- Press office
- Intergovernmental Affairs
- Superintendents and designees
- All affected principals
If the emergency is severe or widespread the Central Response Team may be activated based upon an EOC incident.