young children but she’s urging families to continue social distancing wear a mask and stay
at home whenever possible. And
as cases continue to skyrocket
across the U. S. in schools
decide whether to open this
fall president and CEO of
disaster recovery institute
international Chloe dem rob ski
joins us now from New York. To
discuss the risks associated
with that re opening and that
the best practices moving
forward thank you so much for
your time today Chloe. First I
tell us a little bit more about
your organization and its
mission. Sure disaster recovery
institute international is a
nonprofit institute that trains
and certifies continuity and
resilience professionals who
are the very people who are
charged with. Planning for what
organizations are supposed to
do in the event of something
like a pandemic. Definitely so
we’ve been talking about this a
lot all last week- we focused
on and re opening schools we
all know there is no way to
reopen without risk but the
question is. What is the risk
of not opening schools when it
comes to children’s development
community health and of course
the economy. It’s a tough
choice and it’s tough to find
the right balance and I think
the key is that there’s not
going to be one unified
approach federally. Or globally
and it’s really going to come
down to state and local and
that’s why so many public
health decisions are made. As
close to the community where
they’re happening as possible.
And any school that does re
open house to be prepared to
have shut down measures in
place because you know if a
Coben at outbreak is reported
on their campus or one of their
teachers are one of their kids.
They’re going to have to be
prepared and have them. Shipped
to contact families and say Hey
we’ve had an incident they have
to have the messaging prepared
we have to reach out to them to
be able to close or sometimes
even the next day. And answer
you know. And they feel it’s
safe enough to. Trigger opening
and so it’s going to be a lot
of stop and start and that’s
going to be really challenging
for families for children and-
for our- and what is it. Part
what we know that I would.
School certainly it’s-
certainly. Causing potentially
detrimental harm to the future
of our economy because this is
where we train the next
generation of leaders and
citizens but for currently you
know the parents who rely on
schools to print to send their
kids so that they can go out
and work- or even stay in their
house and work productively you
know if you have a toddler in
there and they’re screaming and
you’re trying to be on the same
call. It doesn’t work very well
so I think we’re seeing a lot
of the challenges that I think
there’ve been a lot of
underlying stresses with that
balancing parenting and family
life with work life and those
are just completely strained by
by this pandemic. So what are
some of the- guidelines
suggested by the disaster
recovery institute on a re
opening during the pandemic. So
a lot of school are taking a
lot of different approaches and
I think that that
experimentation is going to be
helpful every school- has to
comply with whatever their
local public health authority
is and the regulations that.
Apply in their community and
their state I think that’s
really the first. Gene measure
they have to be in touch with
those public health authorities
so that they’re making sure
that they’re in alignment with
whatever it is the community is
deciding to do. And then they
have to be in touch with their
community with parents to
figure out what. Is safest and
above all with teachers because
the teachers are the ones who
are on the front lines with the
kids I know a lot of them are
so anxious to get back in the
school room. It’s certainly not
the in thing to teach online
particularly with much younger
children I’m a university
professor at Johns has L. and
teaching on zoom is a whole
different experience I’m
grateful that I happened but
you know. It’s it does not
replace person X. so as I said
I you have to be aligned with
the local authorities and then
a lot of schools are doing
different kind. Of things that
there stagger the dates on
which- I’m- the- campus. Space
out on putting the in different.
Trying make sure. All time.
There’s the six. Bubble around
each student and teacher. Mask
wearing. You know. Observing
the handwashing students are
younger kids maybe aren’t as- I
used to these guidelines and
habits they haven’t built them
up over time so making it a
collective activity to make
sure that everyone is
practicing you know sanitary.
And washing all the time.
Becomes really really
important. And then we know
that. You know there have been
worrying studies at this is
airborne- so. Schools that are
poorly ventilated become a-
major issue. So the H. fax
systems are not- ventilating
properly- the best thing of
course would be to keep
students outside where possible
and we’re gonna have to get
really creative about that. For
a long time. We’re about you
know learning and it shot in an
enclosed classroom in keeping
people focused there. But if we
can get kids to be outside and
learning outside as much as
possible. And that will help
greatly help to reduce
transmission from what we know.
Thus far. And I think the key
thing also for everyone moving
forward is that. You have to be
flexible because- we didn’t
know that this exists. Disease
existed I note. At the
beginning of the year. We’re
all learning as we go and-
public health it’s- at doing
their job as much as they can.
But there’s a lot a lot
everything day you mentioned
study from South Korea. New
data. But it could change next
month so you have to stay on
top of that. For sure and I
understand you’ve actually
partnered already with some
colleges and educational
programs who are implementing
some of the guidelines correct.
Right so what we do- you know
where the institute that keeps
the best practice for business
continuity for exactly what
organizations are supposed to
do in any kind of crisis. And
so they’re always feeding back
to us you know Hey this is what
we’re learning- this is what
works this is maybe what didn’t
work and this is how we can
improve for the next time. So
it’s a it’s a credential like
you would have for a doctor or
a lawyer for those resilience
experts who work at every major
company and university. And
they hold this credential and
then more importantly they have
to maintain continuing
education. So that they are up
to date on the latest and
greatest and so were always in
touch with with these various
at risk managers and continuity
experts at tat. At universities
all over the country as they’re
struggling with this huge
challenge- schools and day
cares as well. Yeah it is a
huge challenge for sure we’ll
have to wait and see what
happens at the school year
starts well. The rob Steve
there. And CEO. Of this.
Recovery international for your
time today. My pleasure thank