For families, students, school staff and clinicians
An emergency plan works best when it is written, practised and understood by more than one person. Schools should plan for ordinary disruptions as well as major emergencies.
Quick answer
The plan should match the student’s DMMP and cover access to insulin, glucose treatment, monitoring equipment, water, ketone supplies and emergency contacts. Evacuation or lockdown may change where supplies and staff are located.
Key points
- Keep an accessible, checked emergency kit and document who checks expiry dates.
- Identify trained staff for every part of the school day, including transport and trips.
- Plan for power loss, internet loss, device failure, evacuation, delayed meals and sheltering in place.
Why school diabetes care matters
School diabetes care is strongest when the clinical plan and the education plan say the same thing. Families provide the current medical instructions; the school identifies trained staff, access arrangements and backup cover. This matters because the school day includes more than lessons. Transport, breaks, physical education, examinations, trips, clubs and unexpected timetable changes can all affect access to food, medication, monitoring and help.
A written plan should describe responsibilities rather than relying on goodwill or memory. It should also protect the student’s dignity. Diabetes-related checks, alarms, food, toilet access or temporary difficulty concentrating should be handled promptly and without punishment or unnecessary attention.
A practical step-by-step plan
1. Keep an accessible, checked emergency kit and document who checks expiry dates
Keep an accessible, checked emergency kit and document who checks expiry dates. Put the agreed action in writing and name the person responsible. A plan is easier to follow when staff can see exactly what should happen, who should be contacted and what must be documented. A useful check is to ask: Can the student reach supplies during a lockdown or evacuation?
2. Identify trained staff for every part of the school day, including transport and trips
Identify trained staff for every part of the school day, including transport and trips. Test the arrangement in the real school environment. Check that supplies, trained staff and contact details are available where the student actually spends time, not only in the nurse’s office. A useful check is to ask: Who carries medication on a trip?
3. Plan for power loss, internet loss, device failure, evacuation, delayed meals and sheltering in place
Plan for power loss, internet loss, device failure, evacuation, delayed meals and sheltering in place. Include the student in an age-appropriate way. Their experience of alarms, privacy, symptoms and routines can reveal practical gaps that adults may miss. A useful check is to ask: What is the communication plan if phones fail?
4. Run a short review after any event and update the written plan when lessons are learned
Run a short review after any event and update the written plan when lessons are learned. Set a review date. A plan should change when treatment, technology, staffing, activities or the student’s level of independence changes. A useful check is to ask: Which staff can act outside the nurse’s usual hours?
What good support looks like
Good school support is clear enough to use on a busy day. The plan identifies what the student can manage independently, what trained staff must do and who provides backup when the usual person is absent. It covers the whole timetable, protects access to learning and avoids singling the student out unnecessarily.
Communication should be brief, current and written. Repeated problems belong in a review with the family, school and diabetes team rather than being managed through blame or improvised treatment changes.
A real-life test for the plan
Imagine that the circumstances around school emergency preparedness for diabetes change at short notice. The usual routine is disrupted, a key person is unavailable, a device or supply cannot be used, or the symptoms do not match what was expected. A robust arrangement should still show where the current instructions are kept, who can make the next decision, how essential information will be shared and when professional advice is needed. It should not depend on memory or an improvised treatment change.
Rehearse the plan by asking Can the student reach supplies during a lockdown or evacuation? and Who carries medication on a trip? The answers should name a person, place, communication route or decision point. If they only describe what normally happens, add a backup for delays, absences, technology failure and unexpected symptoms. A written fallback does not need to be long, but it should be clear to someone who does not know the usual routine. This short rehearsal often finds practical gaps before they become stressful or unsafe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using an old plan after treatment, staff or timetable changes.
- Assuming the school nurse will always be immediately available.
- Treating device use, food, water or toilet access as a classroom behaviour issue.
- Planning for lessons but forgetting transport, trips, clubs and emergencies.
Questions to discuss
- Can the student reach supplies during a lockdown or evacuation?
- Who carries medication on a trip?
- What is the communication plan if phones fail?
- Which staff can act outside the nurse’s usual hours?
Bring the answers together in the current diabetes medical management plan and any applicable education-access plan. Record the named contacts, backup staff and review date.
Frequently asked questions
Can the student reach supplies during a lockdown or evacuation?
Keep an accessible, checked emergency kit and document who checks expiry dates. The answer should be specific to the person and setting rather than copied from a general checklist. Confirm who will act, what information or supplies are needed, and what the backup will be if the usual arrangement fails. Review that answer whenever the circumstances affecting school emergency preparedness for diabetes change.
Who carries medication on a trip?
Identify trained staff for every part of the school day, including transport and trips. The answer should be specific to the person and setting rather than copied from a general checklist. Confirm who will act, what information or supplies are needed, and what the backup will be if the usual arrangement fails. Review that answer whenever the circumstances affecting school emergency preparedness for diabetes change.
What is the communication plan if phones fail?
Plan for power loss, internet loss, device failure, evacuation, delayed meals and sheltering in place. The answer should be specific to the person and setting rather than copied from a general checklist. Confirm who will act, what information or supplies are needed, and what the backup will be if the usual arrangement fails. Review that answer whenever the circumstances affecting school emergency preparedness for diabetes change.
When to get urgent help
Severe low glucose, seizure, unconsciousness, breathing difficulty, severe dehydration or suspected ketoacidosis require emergency services and the student’s emergency plan.
Do not wait for a routine appointment if there is severe hypoglycaemia, loss of consciousness, a seizure, repeated vomiting, marked dehydration, difficulty breathing, significant ketones, suspected diabetic ketoacidosis or another immediate safety concern. Use the person’s emergency plan and local emergency services.
The bottom line
For school emergency preparedness for diabetes, clarity matters more than an exhaustive checklist. Keep an accessible, checked emergency kit and document who checks expiry dates. A useful next action is straightforward: Identify trained staff for every part of the school day, including transport and trips. Record anything that still needs clarification. The strongest plan is one that a patient, family member, clinician or staff member can actually follow when the day becomes busy or unexpected.
Related Livingdiabetes guides
- Explaining diabetes to children: a parent’s guide
- Building diabetes independence and self-management skills
- Understanding and treating low blood sugar
Sources and further reading
- CDC: Managing Diabetes at School
- ADA: Diabetes Care in the School Setting
- ADA: Diabetes Medical Management Plan
- ADA: Continuous Glucose Monitoring at School
This article is for general education. It does not replace an individual diabetes medical management plan, diagnosis or advice from a qualified healthcare professional.