Administrators of schools that have experienced crises advise other administrators to recognize that crisis situations can occur in any school; that crisis team members must understand their duties and update their crisis plans annually; and that the staff, students, and the community must all be prepared for a crisis. School staff must review previous crises, make a plan that fits their own situation and needs, and base planning on a theoretical model, preferably one that emphasizes the need for a crisis plan that includes primary prevention, secondary intervention in the immediate aftermath of the crisis, and tertiary intervention. Crisis teams may be organized by the school building, by the school district, or by a combination. Training should cover many areas. Issues that school crisis teams should address include communication, media policies and procedures, transportation, school design and safety, and crisis drills and readiness activities. In addition, general strategies to prevent crises include reducing the presence of guns, weapons, gangs, drug, and nonstudents on campus; establishing a positive school climate; designing schools with safety involved; and developing cooperative relationships between schools and all agencies that serve young people. Checklists, examples, and 67 references