To make sure that local schools are prepared for whatever comes their way, the Silicon Valley Safe Schools Consortium--including more than 75 schools, law enforcement and emergency agencies--applied for and received a $480,715 federal Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant.

Schools in the Sunnyvale and Santa Clara Unified school districts will take part in the grant's programs, which will include emergency response and incident command training as well as training to use updated response software.

The Mountain View-Whisman School District, the Mountain View-Los Alto Union High School and Los Altos School districts are also involved, as well as a number of private schools.

"The school districts may have disaster plans on the table, but they haven't had a chance to test them, to walk through them," said Ben Picard, Sunnyvale School District deputy superintendent.

"This is the type of thing that we just don't have the resources to do on our own."

Picard said there were a number of reasons the consortium applied for the money.

"We looked at our geography and that we live on the San Andreas fault," said Picard. "We also looked at 9-11 and at Silicon Valley, and that it can be considered a possible target of future attacks."

Picard said his school district has also seen a rise in local gang activity.

The 18-month grant is one of 94 given out nationally for response and management training.

The district hired consultant Carla Holtzclaw to help with the grant application and use of the money.