Digital Signage for Schools: The 4 Phases of Emergency Management

Don't wait for emergencies to happen. Schools must act decisively before, during, and after a crisis to protect students, whether it’s a tornado, a mental health crisis, or an active threat. The Four Phases of Emergency Management—Prevent, Prepare, Respond, Recover—are your roadmap.

Most digital signage systems can integrate with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), transforming these phases into actionable steps. Let’s break down what your school can do today to safeguard tomorrow.

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Phase 1: Prevent – Stop Crises Before They Start

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Prevention starts with fostering environments where students feel safe, connected, and equipped with coping skills. Research shows that schools implementing social-emotional learning (SEL) programs see measurable declines in bullying and mental health stigma. Equally critical is preparing for physical threats through proactive safety measures, like displaying anonymous tip systems for reporting suspicious activity, displaying scheduled emergency drills, and preparing students and staff to act decisively when seconds count.

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Prevent Through Safety, SEL, and Proactive Culture:

1. Display Mental Health Resources Daily
   
   • Use digital screens in common areas to share coping strategies.
   • Rotate crisis hotline numbers and counselor availability.
2. Run Anti-Bullying Campaigns
   
   • Show student-made videos or infographics promoting inclusivity.
   • Highlight real stories to reduce stigma around mental health.
3. Positive Reinforcement
   
   • Recognize student achievements to strengthen school connectedness—a key protective factor against trauma identified in the PREPaRE Model, a framework endorsed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
4. Announcements
   
   • Scheduled drills.
   • Contacts for reporting suspicious activity.

Pro Tip: download the SEL template collection from Carousel’s Creator Library (This content along with additional free resources is included in Carousel's subscription), or search for more ideas on Canva. With Carousel’s Canva integration, you can create and update content directly from Canva.

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Phase 2: Prepare – Drill Like Your Life Depends on It

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Preparation hinges on clear communication and practiced protocols. Schools must train staff and students using multiple modalities (visual, audio, and text) to ensure readiness. Each modality serves a unique purpose:

Visual cues (e.g., color-coded drill alerts on electronic signs) condition students to recognize alerts without panic, while digital maps reinforce evacuation routes during fire drills. Audio alerts (e.g., PA announcements, alarms) mimic real emergencies, training ears to distinguish lockdown alarms from tornado sirens. Text-based instructions (e.g., SMS updates to staff during surprise drills) test internal coordination, ensuring teachers know when to lock doors or account for students.

Together, these modalities create a redundant, multi-sensory safety net that reinforces muscle memory, mitigates environmental barriers, boosts compliance, and adapts to evolving threats. By layering modalities, schools ensure no one is left guessing, whether during a routine drill or a high-stakes crisis.

Prepare with Multi-Modal Drills and Protocols:

1. Simulate Realistic Drills
   
   • Use digital signage to display drill alerts with step-by-step instructions (e.g., “Fire Drill: Walk calmly to the south stairwell”).
2. Centralize Emergency Protocols
   
   • Create a digital safety hub on all screens with maps, evacuation routes, and emergency contacts.
3. Automate CAP Alerts
   
   • Integrate Carousel with your existing emergency systems to trigger lockdown or shelter-in-place notifications instantly.

Pro Tip: Check out the CAP-Ready Alerts Collection on Carousel’s Creator Library. (This content along with additional free resources is included in Carousel's subscription)

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Phase 3: Respond – Act Fast When Every Second Counts

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Clarity and speed save lives during a crisis. Carousel’s integration with CAP ensures that targeted alerts from your existing emergency systems are pushed instantly across all screens in your network, ensuring the right message reaches the right people in the right places.

CAP, or Common Alert Protocol, is an XML-based system widely used by government, education, transportation, and corporate industries. Alerts are triggered from multiple inputs, such as a mobile app or a panic button. Carousel has partnered with Raptor Technologies, SingleWire (InformaCast), and CrisisGo – three of the most popular apps built specifically for triggering system-wide alerts. When you configure Carousel Cloud to receive CAP triggers, your alert bulletins automatically override your channel’s content.

Respond with Instant, Targeted Alerts:

1. Instant Override for Unified Messaging
   
   • CAP-triggered alerts automatically replace all regular content on screens system-wide with emergency instructions.
2. Precise Targeting
   
   • Send alerts to specific buildings, wings, or outdoor areas. Display floor-specific evacuation maps or shelter-in-place diagrams on screens in affected areas.
3. Clear Transitions to Recovery
   
   • “All Clear” Notifications: Replace emergency alerts with calming, green-banner updates to signal safety.
   • Post-Crisis Instructions: Guide next steps (e.g., “Return to classrooms for attendance check”) to restore order.

Partner Spotlight: Raptor Technologies makes Emergency Management easy for schools to trigger alerts through a simple app.

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Phase 4: Recover – Restore Routine with Clear Updates

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The recovery phase is a vital connection between crisis response and renewed stability. Clear communication is essential to rebuild trust and establish routines. Digital signage plays a key role in helping schools effectively coordinate actions after a crisis—reuniting families and restoring normalcy—while delivering real-time updates that enhance clarity and accountability. This phase is not just about overcoming challenges, it’s about empowering our community and nurturing confidence in our resilience.

Recover with Clear Communication and Coordination:

1. Facilitate Student-Parent Reunification
   
   • Display reunification zone instructions on screens at school entrances.
2. Communicate Post-Crisis Resources
   
   • Share counselor availability, mental health hotlines, and district updates.
3. Restore Normalcy Gradually
   
   • Transition screens back to regular schedules, announcements, and SEL content (e.g. mindfulness reminders) to signal a return to routine.

Pro Tip: Reference your county or school district’s website to access verified hotline information for display on digital signage and emergency messaging.

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Emergencies demand proactive, phased strategies – not reactive chaos. By aligning with the Four Phases of Emergency Management (Prevent, Prepare, Respond, Recover), schools can transform vulnerability into resilience. Carousel Digital Signage, integrated with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), empowers this transition:

• Prevent crises by fostering safety through SEL content, anti-bullying campaigns, and trauma-informed practices.
• Prepare with CAP-automated drills, centralized safety hubs, and real-time alerts that turn protocols into instinct.
• Respond decisively with unified, system-wide alerts and visual guidance that eliminate confusion during critical moments.
• Recover by restoring trust with clear reunification instructions, mental health resources, and a return to routine.

Next Steps:

Ready to implement a CAP-integrated emergency strategy? Connect with a Carousel Specialist to tailor a solution for your school’s unique needs.

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