In 2011, I co-founded what would become one of the largest school-based positive behavior summits in the Midwest. As my partners and I crafted legal contracts with the conference center, vendors and presenters, we were introduced to the term “Force Majeure” which is very significant in Wisconsin in February. Ever since, I’ve considered force majeure as it relates to school safety – and that inevitably leads into chaos theory. WHAT IS FORCE MAJEURE? Force Majeure is French for “superior force”. Force majeure refers to a clause that is included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupt the expected course of events and restrict participants from fulfilling obligations. In other words, if solar flare fried our electrical grid, we wouldn’t be on the hook to pay conference presenters their speaking fees as Tuesday’s conference wasn’t going happen as the communication, power and transportation structures largely left people with few options other than to stay in their homes or hoof it to the nearest supply depot. WAS 9/11 FORCE MAJEURE? Yes. New York, for example, hadn’t encountered a terrorist attack via commercial aircraft – ever! And, nobody had experienced all commercial planes grounded across the nation for days. If you couldn’t fly your shipment of XYZ from Boston to LA in 24 hours, as promised, then the force majeure clause would have been activated and you wouldn’t be held at fault for not fulfilling the contract. CAN FEMA DECLARE FORCE MAJEURE? I don’t think so. And, if FEMA has this ability, it hasn’t exercised it. But, it would be helpful for strengthening rescue forces during sentinel events, such as flooding. For example, in 2017, the nonprofit Cajun Navy Relief volunteered boats, trucks, food, manpower and other resources to rescue people from flooded areas. FEMA was largely a passive partner in this process – not overtly assisting Cajun Navy Relief in most instances, but also not a barrier to their interface into the government rescue system. This changed with Hurricane Florence in 2018 as FEMA was significantly less cooperative with nonprofits such as Triton Relief Group. If FEMA declared a state of force majeure, however, that act might clear the way for nonprofit rescue forces to play bigger roles, and in expedited fashion, with large scale rescues. WHAT DOES FORCE MAJEURE MEAN FOR SCHOOL SAFETY? This is a slippery interface. First, a declaration of force majeure might convey to some that the situation if insurmountable and they will simply surrender. On the other hand, force majeure can acknowledge that the state of similarity has officially transitioned into chaos – and actually embracing chaos can help people narrow down and make decisions that might save lives. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com This is Episode #100. LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com
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Perfect Attendance Can Win High School Students A New Car | What Do You Think? | SDP201
Bystander Effect | Why Are We Unwilling To Help When Others Are Watching? | SDP200
Opioid Emergencies in K-12 Schools | Community and Legal Considerations | SDP199
Medical CBD Oil In Schools | Brooke Adams vs. Rincon Valley Union School District | FAPE | SDP198
Bank Account Voting System | Transparent Solution to Election Integrity | Guest Lee Jarvis | SDP197
Seven School Safety Exercise Objectives That Actually Help Teachers, Police, Fire, and EMS | SDP196
The Meteoric Rise of High School Esports | What You Need to Know | Guest Mike Dahle | SDP195
The Law of Necessity | Good Samaritan Considerations | Guest Attorney Lisa Linney | SDP194
Citizen’s Arrest - What You Should Know | Your Jury Trial Rights | Guest Attorney Legalman | SDP193
Should Teachers Be Armed? | High School Trap Teams | Guest Competitive Shooter Bending Ballistics
What It Was Like to Present Live School Safety Specials on PBS TV | Never Do This One Thing | SDP191
Fitness in Chaotic Times | What Really Motivates Us | Fitness Professional Megan Usui | SDP190
School ‘Swatting’ Skyrocketing in America | What Is It? | What Can Be Done to Stop It? | SDP189
Peggy The Comfort Pig | Animals in Schools | BOE Policy and ADA Considerations | SDP188
I Failed My PhD Dissertation Defense | Priest Prepared Last Rites | SDP187
Decision Making Up in the Air | Pilot Graham Wilson | The DECIDE model | SDP186
Bill Would Ban Cellphones in Schools | 7 Reasons For and 7 Against Cellphones in Schools | SDP185
Lost Person Behavior Facts | 4 Ways to Make it Easier to Be Found | SDP184
$50K Bonus for Teachers | Unpacking Educator Free Agency | SDP183
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