In Davis County, schools have red emergency phones.
In Salt Lake City, some have backpacks packed with things like flashlights and Band-Aids.
In Provo, schools are about to receive plastic wrap and duct tape.
It's all in the name of the Boy Scout creed: Be prepared.
And in the schools' case, that means being ready for anything, from a terrorist attack to earthquakes.
"It's not a reaction — it's a preparation," said Greg Hudnall, Provo District student services director, whose schools also will receive flashlights, batteries, short-wave radios and wind socks to determine the direction of a gas cloud.
"We have a lot of people who are very concerned about what's happening with the war and terrorism. Our attitude is, we want to be prepared for anything and everything."
The thoughts on preparedness are shared in most schools across the country — especially now, with the war in Iraq and the nation's terror alert system at a high-level "orange."
The U.S. Department of Education's Web site, www.ed.gov/emergencyplan, helps school officials plan for emergencies including terrorism. Suggestions include practicing response plans and setting ways to communicate with parents.
The Washington, D.C., Public School System is prepared to shelter children at school and provide ready-to-eat meals. That school system also has other measures in place, including metal detectors at every entrance in middle and high schools, plus some special X-ray screening systems for drugs and other weapons and closed-circuit TVs that monitor school buildings and grounds.
Some Utah school districts also use more tangible, though less elaborate, safety measures.
Some Cache County schools have emergency kits with flashlights, space blankets and other supplies in case students have to be sheltered in classrooms.
Ogden's Wasatch Elementary has emergency kits for each student, which include food and water packets, blankets, radios, basic medical supplies and a small shovel with which to move debris, Ogden District spokeswoman Debbie Hefner said.
Ogden and Jordan schools also have at least a three-day supply of food on hand.
Still, most schools focus more on overall emergency plans.
Washington School District recently trained with emergency consultants, and meets monthly with the community, police, fire and other emergency personnel to improve preparedness plans but has not found a need for duct tape and plastic or overnight kits.
"There are all kinds of scenarios we can imagine, but we have to determine which are likely when we consider expenditures and make sure our procedures are well thought out," Washington Superintendent Kolene Granger said.
Such local approaches to disaster planning are encouraged by the state's Homeland Security Office and State Office of Education.
Schools must submit emergency plans to the education office and keep them current if they want safe and drug-free schools funding, office spokesman Mark Peterson said.
The office files emergency plans after determining they meet basic criteria: mainly, having a communication plan with staff and parents in the event of an emergency, and a way to account for children and workers and keep them safe, said Larry Newton, director of finance and statistics for the State Office of Education.
Mountain View Elementary in Salt Lake City, for instance, holds evacuation drills, in which teachers account for every student with color-coded wands. Teachers spread out on school grounds, and students go to them. Once all have been accounted for, teachers hold up a green wand. Those with children still missing flash an orange stick.
Many schools develop emergency plans with the help of law enforcement agencies.
Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies, for instance, have worked with Granite and Jordan district police to ensure everyone knows each school's floor plan in the event they need to enter or secure buildings.
"What's been done in schools is not specific to terrorism, but it could be used for that. It all began with Columbine," said Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy Peggy Faulkner, referring to the 1999 slayings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. "We can use plans for terror attacks, Columbine things, earthquake preparedness — any of those things."
For instance, each school in Salt Lake City School District has emergency plans on what to do in the event of an intruder, a bomb scare or finding a powdery substance in the mail. These plans have been shared with the Salt Lake City Police Department, which also has blueprints of all schools and a two-way radio system with the schools and districts to maintain communication during disasters, district spokesman Jason Olsen said.
In Davis, each school has a red phone that automatically connects the caller with the superintendent's office, the district emergency management services and the district building control office, district spokesman Chris Williams said. School districts also say they regularly review safety plans and practice drills — a necessity if all is to run smoothly in an emergency.
"We feel confident in our plans," Williams said. "Will they address everything that happens? Who knows everything that's going to happen?"
E-mail: ehayes@desnews.com; jtcook@desnews.com