School Evacuation & Reunification Maps

by | Dec 20, 2021

Maps are valuable tools for illustrating where to go and what to do in an emergency. School maps like evacuation maps or campus maps help with pre-incident planning, during an event, and post-event. Reunification maps, in particular, are used after an event to reunite students and parents in an orderly and efficient way.

What Are Reunification Maps?

If an emergency occurs at school, students may need to be evacuated to a safe location and released to parents. Reunification maps help manage the logistics of this process and can reduce some of the stress and confusion parents or students may feel.

There are typically three main areas during reunification:

  • A family staging area
  • A student staging area
  • A reunification area

Reunification maps should clearly illustrate these areas and direct the flow of traffic to avoid delays and cut down on any confusion. Parents arriving on campus should have clear directions on where to go, where to wait, and what to expect.

The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification are used in more than 30,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations, and communities around the world. They point out that “a predetermined, practiced reunification method ensures the reunification process will not further complicate what is probably already a chaotic, anxiety-filled scene. In fact, putting an orderly reunification plan into action will help defuse the emotion building at the site.”

School Reunification Planning

A reunification location may be on a school’s campus or a nearby off-campus location. On November 30, 2021, a Michigan grocery store shut down to assist in reunification after students were evacuated from Oxford High School. The school was placed on lockdown after a student opened fire, killing three students and wounding eight other people. Students were later taken to a grocery store across the street to be picked up by their parents.

The key to a well-executed reunification is to plan ahead. Reunification should be part of your pre-incident planning process and is just as important as planning evacuation routes and conducting regular fire drills. There will not be time to create maps immediately after an emergency fire evacuation or a security incident. Options for creating a campus evacuation or reunification map include an illustration-style map or a satellite image.

Sample Highschool

The Standard Reunification Method™

The “I Love U Guys” Foundation has created a Standard Reunification Method™. They advise keeping things simple and organized:

  • Establish a parent check-in location.
  • Deliver the students to the student staging area.
  • Once students are on site, notify parents of the location.
  • “Greeters” direct parents/guardians to the parent check-in location and help them understand the process.
  • Parents/guardians complete Reunification Cards.
  • The “Reunifier” recovers students from the student staging area and delivers them to the parent.

Visit iloveuguys.org to download the complete reunification standard and access other resources for school crisis response.

Be Prepared with Building Maps

The best way to be prepared for an emergency is to plan for it. The experts at Building Maps can help you plan for school evacuation and reunifications with detailed and easy-to-read maps. All of our illustrators are trained in fire and life safety and are familiar with codes and standards of the NFPA, ICC, OSHA, and more. Our maps can help clarify your reunification plans, so you are prepared for any event and can respond quickly and calmly to any emergency.

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