Throughout the year—and at least monthly—our school Safety Team plans a drill for students and staff to practice. This is a district requirement, and our purpose is to help students practice for a variety of scenarios so that in the event of an actual emergency they would know exactly what to do. The types of drills we practice include fire drills, earthquake drills, shelter in place, reverse evacuation, and lock-down drills. Here’s what each type of drill looks like:
Fire Drill: The fire alarm will be triggered, and classes immediately exit the building following their assigned exit route. Classes line up with their teacher in their assigned location until all students and staff are accounted for and the all clear signal is given.
Earthquake Drill: An announcement is made over the intercom: Earthquake, earthquake! Everyone in the building drops and takes cover under their desk for 60 seconds. A second announcement is made letting everyone know when the shaking has stopped and it is safe to come out from under cover. This is sometimes also followed by a complete building evacuation with staff moving to duty locations as they would in a real earthquake (such as First Aid, Search and Rescue, Student Supervision, etc.).
Shelter in Place: All outside doors are locked. Classroom windows are covered. Classes can move within the building as needed, but students do not go outside.
Reverse Evacuation: This drill is to practice bringing students safely inside the building if there was an outside threat such as an environmental issue. Once several years ago, there was a fire a short distance from the school and the fumes were strong enough that we needed to bring students in from recess.
Lock-down Drill: During a lock-down drill, teachers lock the classroom doors and cover the windows. The lights are turned out and teachers gather students in a corner of the room least visible from the hallway or outside windows. In our younger classrooms, teachers will sometimes read to the students very quietly. The drill ends when an administrator comes to unlock the classroom door and let students know they are safe.
As we practice our drills, we ask that students and staff take them seriously. We do not talk during drills so that everyone can hear the important directions given during this time. We make sure that in drills where we exit or re-enter the building, all are walking in a calm way so that we are safe. And while we take the drills seriously, we also talk to students to reassure them that this practice keeps us safe, so we know what to do if there ever were an emergency while they are at school.
This month, we will practice a lock-down drill. This drill is probably the one most likely to make some students nervous, so we wanted families to be aware of the practice. If you should happen to come to school while a lock-down drill is in progress, we will not be able to buzz you into the building until the drill is completed. On the day we have this drill, as soon as it is complete, I will send you a message via email to let you know we had a practice lock-down drill. This helps you know that there was no actual danger to your students and helps you to dispel any concerns your child might have.
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