Introduction
A critical incident is an event, that ruin the normal activity in a school environment, the public, and which causes damage to property, loss of life to faculty, the students, or staff. There are a few cases of critical incidents, ranging from fires to tornadoes. A good example of a critical incident is the well known the shooting event at Columbine high school. The outcome of such an event has an enduring impact on the victims, and the entire surrounding community at large. The school faculty should prepare for such events by establishing critical incident management plan, in real time.
For instance, in the Columbine high school shooting incident, proper decision making and management approach could have helped with the situation. As a manager supervising the shooting incident, I would incorporate rationale decision making, and the functions of management, planning, controlling, organizing, directing, and staffing. Shooting incidents in schools are rampant, and most of these events result in critical outcomes, like physical damage, and death to the victims. As a school based manager managing an incident like the Columbine Shooting, I would start by initiating a plan action that will include; plans to avoid future occurrence of such incidents, and proper management of resources, and improved methods of handling an occurrence of the event. Better decision making and good management establish a close relation with the school students and faculty.
Managing and Leading
My plan action would start by conducting a regular search on students, especially those that are in the list of suspects, by following the correct procedure in handling the search team. This will be efficient since planning, as a management function will play a vital role in encouraging group effort in my search team. The second plan would involve negotiations with the local police in the community, and the Community Relations Department. I would instruct them to regularly asses the behavior of students, create awareness to them, and meeting up with school members and seemingly violent students, in regular talks, guidance, and counseling. Prompt decision-making is an intrinsic daily activity for managers, and it is part of the problem solving that includes problem analysis, utilization of skills, competence, and roles by the manager. In the event of an outcome incident, I would incorporate leading, as management function, where I would direct the school security personnel, and staff members to establish a committee that would ensure a zero tolerance of shooting activity. This includes; banning firecrackers or shooting games in the school compound, and encouraging each student to report any form of mentioned activity amongst other students, in accordance with the school rules regarding this matter.
Management Skills And Roles
This shows the relationship between, technical, human relation skills, and conceptual skills. These skills apply in specific situations, depending on the event at hand. The technical skills will aid me use methods of resolving the shooting incident, by planning a new organized process. This involves organizing of the school administration members, for a more concrete administration with strict policy and rules concerning firearms in the school compound. Conceptual skills in decision-making will also play a vital role, as this incorporates the mental ability to foresee various factors in situations like the Columbine shooting. This is useful when conducting investigations into the shooting, and interrogating each student individually, hence assessing their mental state, and connection into the shooting event. By following up the series of events and investigation, I can easily manage the scene and figure out exactly the core of the shooting, and its connection to the affected victims. Human or interpersonal skills in decision making will involve me as management, to fully collaborate with others in restoring confidence to affected students, understanding and motivating the mentally and physically affected ones, and leading them in creating awareness of drug use and illegal firearms.
My roles in the incident will include information roles, which focuses on monitoring and speaking to parents and students, while giving them hope of new life and fair justice to the culprits. Decision is integral to management, and an example of decisions roles is being a negotiator. This is the most important as it highlights management decision making in all aspects. At the shooting scene, my objective would be to try to negotiate with the gunmen, if still present at the scene, and begin an immediate action regarding the shooting incident. This involves talking to the gunman for the release of hostages if any, and doing a thorough search on the school compound for any explosives, or attackers that may be part of the shootout incident. My search team would seize any recovered apparatus resembling a weapon, and hand it straight to the police team. Better supervision of the incident will prompt a quick and temporary emergency site at the school compound, to cater for any major injuries that may need immediate action and response. There would be need to commence a disciplinary action for those students involved in the shooting at Columbine high school, and if necessary take legal action against these students.
Conclusion
Problem Solving
After conducting a problem recognition and definition method, better decision making for future protection of students and staff will lead to a safer learning environment. In order to solve this problem in reference to future re-occurrence, I would incorporate a committee to set up rules that restricts students from walking into open fences on school compounds, and keeping off the gate area during school time, and posting finally posting security personnel at convenient position in the school. The follow-up action I would consider after the incident will include referring those students involved with the incidence, a pass, and eventually documenting the whole incident and presenting the report to the concerned authorities.
