School Safety Drills Concerns
By Sky Hill
At any school, you’ve probably experienced or had to go through a School Safety Drill. Schools have been conducting safety drills since the 1950’s. This means that your parents and maybe even grandparents have participated in these drills. This made me think that if your older relatives went through these drills, which have little to no change, what are the chances that the intruder has also gone through these drills and knows where the students are located? Well, the chances are high, which is why I’m going to go over each drill and explain why they are unsafe, and how we can fix them.
Lockdown Drills
What does a lockdown drill look like?
During a lockdown drill, students must stay in the classroom out of sight, while teachers lock doors and shut window blinds.
How does this work?
Well, apparently because the door is locked and the students are quiet, the intruder would think that the classroom is unoccupied, and leave in peace.
Why is this method unsafe for the students?
This method is unsafe because the lockdown drills have been going on since the 1950s, so the chances of the intruder knowing this method are extremely high.
Earthquake & Tornado Drills
What does a Tornado drill look like?
An earthquake drill is when students hide under a covered surface (usually a desk or table) to be covered. A tornado drill is when students gather in the hallway, covered and lined up against the wall.
How does this work?
Apparently, because you are covered, the tornado and earthquake will do little to no damage.
Why is this method unsafe for the students?
This method is unsafe because tornadoes have been known to reach wind speeds of over 300 mph, so the chance of the desk and student underneath being ripped away is high. Earthquakes are equally as dangerous since they can go up to a 9.5 magnitude, meaning that a child can easily be shaken up.
There are many other drills, but these two were the most unsafe for students. There are much better ways of dealing with these two situations than what is currently in place, and the school system should look into updating these drills.
Fixes: I would first fix the lockdown drill problem, since the intruder has most likely been to school before, maybe each year we could change up the routine they go for. For one year they might hide in different areas, or they don’t tell the students the drill until an emergency has happened so the intruder doesn’t know where to look. For the Earthquake and Tornado drills, I would say to maybe install a special room in each building that’s built to withstand them and can also fit all the students. So most likely more than one, maybe two on each side of the school and one in the middle. Or to have someone watch the tornado and see when it’s coming so all the students can evacuate before it comes