School Emergency Preparedness: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

Educators and administrators want to do more than simply teach the thriving students that fill their classrooms – they want to protect them. In a time when our nation’s schools are faced with situations like active shooters and bomb threats, it’s vital to be prepared for any school emergency. To be sure you’re promoting the safest possible environment at your school, ask yourself the following questions about school security:

1. Are you considering all possible school emergencies?

There’s no question about the importance of having a plan to handle an emergency situation, but having just one isn’t enough. Danger comes in many forms, with each requiring a different response.

Have a unique plan ready for every possible emergency situation, such as fires, code reds, active shooters, bomb threats, extreme weather conditions, and anything else that could put your school’s occupants at risk. You should even go a step further by taking different “what-if” scenarios into account. That way, you have a back-up plan ready if the first one fails.

2. Are you practicing your procedures?

It’s just as important to practice a plan as it is to have one in the first place. To prevent panic and disorder during a stressful situation, be sure to continually familiarize students and staff members with the specifics of your emergency response plan. Every student, teacher, administrator and faculty member should know what to do, where to go, and whom to listen to. Practice makes perfect, and there’s no room for mistakes during a school emergency.

3. What safety systems are in place?

Can you remotely lock every door in the building in an instant? What can you use to locate students in real time? If someone were to need special assistance, how would you get that message across to administrators? If you don’t have clear-cut answers to these questions, your students and staff are at risk.

Ruvna is a digital crisis platform that replaces paper and clipboard rosters during a school emergency. From any Internet-connected device, teachers can use it to account for present, missing, and injured students while administrators follow along live. This means schools can accomplish in seconds what would normally take hours. To learn more about this powerful technology, click here.

4. How will you communicate?

As with any emergency, communication during a school crisis is key. Internally, students and staff members need a way to make the entire school aware when there is a threat. Externally, administrators need a way to relay important information to emergency officials and keep worried parents in the loop of what’s going on. This brings us back to having tools in place to strengthen emergency plans, as these will ensure flawless communication during a stressful situation.

Take action now

At Peace of Mind Technologies, we specialize in providing strong school security. To discuss your school’s emergency plan and learn how you can improve it, call us at (212) 688-2767, email us at info@pom-tec.com, or complete our contact form for a consultation.