The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released two new tools designed to protect and care for children who are in a hospital or a school during a public health emergency:

Pediatric Hospital Surge Capacity in Public Health Emergencies (http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/pedhospital/) consists of guidelines to assist pediatric hospitals in converting from standard operating capacity to surge
capacity and help community hospital emergency departments provide care for large numbers of critically ill children. The tool addresses needs such as communications, staff responsibilities, triaging, stress management, and security concerns when handling large numbers of children with either communicable respiratory diseases or communicable foodborne or waterborne illnesses.

School‐Based Emergency Preparedness: A National Analysis and Recommended Protocol
(http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/schoolprep/) is a national model for school‐based emergency response planning. It provides guidance on the recommended steps for both creating and implementing a school-based emergency response plan. Steps outlined include performing needs assessments, conducting site
surveys, developing training modules for school staff, and informing parents of the plan, as well as steps relating to building security and safety, preparation for large‐scale emergencies, sheltering‐in‐place and lockdown, evacuation, relocation, and communications. Included with the guidance is a model schoolbased emergency response plan developed by the Brookline, Mass. school district in cooperation with the Center for Biopreparedness, the division of Harvard Medical School that prepared both sets of guidelines
under contract to AHRQ.

Both tools are available on AHRQ’s Web site (http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/) or free single printed copies can be ordered from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or 800‐358‐9295.