Every school and early childhood service that creates an Emergency Management Plan is required to have an area map, and an evacuation plan for each building.
This page provides access to document editing tutorial videos and instructions to assist schools and early childhood services with completing parts of their Emergency Management Plan document that require graphical content such as area maps, evacuation diagrams and communication/IMT trees.
Software
The tutorials are aimed at people with moderate computer skills who have access to Microsoft Office applications PowerPoint and Word.
Some tutorials refer to the MS Paint application available with the Windows platform.
On Windows 7 and prior versions, Paint is typically available under Start / All Programs / Accessories. Alternative image editors or screen grabbers may be used in place of Paint. The application is simply used to view an image and select, then copy, a part of it.
There are many ways to build a graphic or diagram in MS Word, some more advanced than others. The tutorials aim to provide one approach that is as simple and as straight forward as possible.
The Word documents used in these tutorials are based on Emergency Management Plan templates available on the
Early Childhood Emergency Management information page. The EM Plan Guide and checklist are also available there.
Where appropriate, there are separate tutorials for MS Word version 2010 (applies to MS Word 2007 and above) and MS Word 2000 (applies to MS Word 2003 and older).
The video below explains what is meant by copy/paste terms used in the tutorials: Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and Alt+PrtScrn.
Video transcript (rtf - 30.36kb)
Creating an Area Map
You will need to develop an area map to show the location of your facility and offsite assembly points.
How you construct your map is up to you as long as it provides the minimum information.
These tutorials cover simple methods for producing the map for your EM Plan that may include textual information about a point such as an external assembly point and evacuation paths to those points.
You will need moderate computer skills and access to MS Office.
The topics regarding call outs, text boxes, lines and arrows can be used for ANY diagram you need to compile in your MS Word document.
Topics:
Adding an area map image to your EMP document
Adding a call out to your area map in your EMP document
Adding a text box to your area map in your EMP document
Adding lines and arrows to your area map image in your EMP document
Adding an area map image to your EMP document
This is the first step in developing your area map.
The image might be an aerial photo (if it is current enough) or a just a road map.
You will use your browser, Google Maps, and MS Paint (in WIndows 7).
This tutorial should apply to any version of MS Word.
Video transcript
Adding a call out to your area map in your EMP document
A call out is like a text box with a pointer attached. They can be used to provide information relevant to a point on your map. Eg. "Assemble at Smith's Park".
You will use standard editing tools in MS Word.
Tutorial for MS Word 2007+
Video transcript
Tutorial for MS Word 2000/2003
Video transcript
Adding a text box to your area map in your EMP document
A text box can be used to provide information such as instructions for alternative assembly points.
You will use standard editing tools in MS Word.
Tutorial for MS Word 2007+
Video transcript
Tutorial for MS Word 2000/2003
Video transcript
Adding lines and arrows to your area map image in your EMP document
Lines and arrows can be used to indicate evacuation paths, etc.
You will use standard editing tools in MS Word.
Tutorial for MS Word 2007+
Video transcript
Tutorial for MS Word 2000/2003
Video transcript
Creating Evacuation Diagrams
When you develop your Emergency Management Plan, you should ensure that there is one Evacuation Diagram for each building on your site.
How you construct your diagram is up to you as long as it provides the minimum information.
These tutorials cover simple methods for producing a diagram for your EM Plan that may include equipment icons, evacuation paths, assembly points and relevant textual information.
You will need moderate computer skills and access to MS Office.
The tutorials will make use of MS PowerPoint to build the diagrams, because it has built in functions to add text and lines over an image. Once the diagram is complete, the diagram is copied from PowerPoint into your EM Plan document, using MS Paint to crop the image.
Topics:
Prepare an EM Plan document for an Evacuation Diagram
Add a plan image to PowerPoint
Add equipment icons to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
Add text to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
Add evacuation paths to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
Copy your evacuation plan from PowerPoint to you EM Plan document
The 'icons' tutorial refers to a document that contains the icon images required.
Use this link to open the document: 
Images for EMP Evacuation Diagrams
Prepare an EM Plan document for an Evacuation Diagram
Assuming you have the latest EM Plan template document, it is recommended that you follow these steps to prepare the document for each of your buildings.
Video transcript
Add a plan image to PowerPoint
The starting point for an evacuation diagram is a plan of the building.
You could build a plan by some means (MS PowerPoint could be utilised) or copy one in from a file or other source.
These tutorials will assist with copying an existing plan in.
Add a plan image to PowerPoint from a file
Use this method if you have a plan on a file that does not require further action, such as cropping.
Video transcript
Add a plan image to PowerPoint using copy and paste
Use this method if you have a plan on a file but it requires further action, such as cropping, to make it suitable for your diagram.
Video transcript
Add equipment icons to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
You need to show icons for equipment such as fire blankets and extinguishers on your diagram, as well as for assembly points.
This tutorial refers to a document that contains the icon images required.
Use this link to open the document:
Images for EMP Evacuation Diagrams
Video transcript
Add text to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
You can add text to, say, describe an assembly point on your diagram if it enhances the usefulness of the diagram and does not clutter the diagram too much.
Video transcript
Add evacuation paths to your PowerPoint evacuation plan
A key component of an evacuation diagram are the paths to be taken from areas within the building to outside assembly points.
These can be represented on a diagram using lines and arrows, and should be sufficiently highlighted in colour and thickness.
Video transcript
Copy your evacuation plan from PowerPoint to you EM Plan document
Once you have finished your diagram in PowerPoint, you need to transfer it to your EM Plan document.
You should have prepared your EM Plan document to cater for as many diagrams as you need (see the first tutorial above).
Copy and paste methods will be used to get the diagram into your EM Plan.
Video transcript
Creating a Communications Tree or IMT structure
A communication tree allows staff to easily identify who will contact relevant persons e.g. parents, emergency services, regions etc. during an emergency.
The tree is a top-down representation using text boxes to identify staff, and lines to show the communications paths.
An Incident Management Team (IMT) structure indicates who will fill the team roles.
These are single page documents with just a typical tree diagram that you can then adjust for your situation, and then copy and paste into your EM Plan document.
You can also adapt these to produce your IMT structure.
Right-click on the template link that is relevant to you, select
Save target As and then save it somewhere such as your My Documents folder.
Also right-click this
Instructions document, select
Save Target As and then save it somewhere such as your My Documents folder.
Open each document, and follow the instructions.
Tutorial videos on how to draw new
text boxes and
lines are available on the
Tutorials for creating an Area Map page, although the templates should contain everything you need.
(The tutorials describe the typical steps to adding boxes and lines in MS Word and apply to any diagram, not just Area Maps. Just scroll down to the video that applies to what you want to do.)
Saving your diagram image (Government School EM Plans)
This section applies to Government Schools only.
Where these tutorials refer to pasting an image into your EM plan document, follow these steps instead to create image files that can be added to your online EM plan:
- At this point you would have copied your diagram (Ctrl+C) as per the video.
- Open
MS Paint, available under Start / All Programs / Accessories.
- Make sure the blank area is small by
selecting the first tab (File or Paint);
selecting Properties;
setting Width and Height to 50
PIXELS (not Centimeters). - Press
Ctrl+V to paste the image in. The image will be resized automatically.
- Select the first tab (File or Paint) and then select Save As and save the image as a PNG or JPG file, giving it a descriptive name and placing it in an appropriate folder.
- Close MS Paint.