It seems strange, but it was the sound of my elementary school’s fire alarm when my classmates and I would jump up from our little desks to be the first in line to get a healthy dose of outside sunshine in the middle of the school day.
Back then, that’s all the alarm was — a break from class. Today, however, it is unfortunate that we live in a society where we must be conscientious of any school alarm sounding. Whether we are in churches, schools, sport events, synagogues, chapels, day care centers, bars, or birthday parties, we must be aware and recognize that there is a possibility that our safety could very well be interrupted by a deranged individual, or individuals, who intend to harm or kill us.
Across our country, administrators and school leaders are re-thinking their safety plans. They are tightening the protocols for their schools, organizations and clubs so that their students and staff can react to violent threats.
School resource officers, administration leaders, counselors, office clerks, fire department chiefs, police chiefs, and other school personnel should work collaboratively to make certain that lock-down (gun and weapon), fire, bomb, and inclement weather (tornado) drills are in order.
Every able body within a school organization has a responsibility and obligation to ensure the highest quality of safety for all. From the school principal down to the custodian, every individual has a specific role to play in the existing safety drills for that institution/organization.
Minimally, safety drill plans consist of posted maps of rooms, spaces and exits, emergency equipment locations, updated student medical information, and contact lists. Neighbor proprietors should not be excluded from a school’s safety plan. In fact, increased communication and involvement of neighboring proprietors decreases haphazardness and increases options for other needed safety accommodations.
Safety plans, in addition to equipment checks and inventory of resources, should be routinely reviewed and updated to identify the plan’s efficacy, efficiency (especially timing), and quality.
Leaders, have you considered the talents that exist on your staff that contribute to having a more efficient safety plan? Is there an emergency response team in your school? These are just a couple of the many questions to consider on school safety.
Our children are worth the time invested on the matter and it is by working together to heighten our awareness and school safety practices that we can truly make a difference in saving lives and enjoying the many privileges we share that make life worth living.
Russell Jeter III, Ed.S.
Fayetteville, Ga.
