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Safety in Texas
schools
By Garrett Oakley School safety has always been a concern in Texas, but after the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks, school safety took on a whole new meaning. Most schools were prepared to deal with the occasional gang fight or random shooting that may occur, but not a terrorist attack.
As a student at Terrell High School, I do not live with the fear of Terrell, Texas being attacked by terrorists, but the possibility of a terrorist attack is possible, being so close to Dallas and I think it only wise that we be prepared.
Texas schools and communities must prepare for what may lie ahead and learn to deal with prolonged fear and uncertainty of being threatened by terrorists. Today�s preparations will not only serve schools and communities during times of war and terrorism but also during times of peace.
There are many resources available today for schools to utilize in forming their strategies for prevention, preparation and response plans. According to the National School Safety Center there are six critical strategies to consider:
(1.) Schools should meet with local police and fire departments to assess the schools� readiness regarding crisis preparedness. The school plan should interface with community crisis response plans. Schools should also practice and drill on site with first responders.
(2.) Schools must assess preparedness by identifying staff members who possess specialized skills and training such as first aid or CPR. They should develop a chain of command, inventory campus provisions including food and water and assemble emergency kits.
(3.) They must keep informed and be aware of the potential threats by mapping the schools proximity to power plants, government buildings, dams and reservoirs and other potential terrorist targets. They should screen and badge all visitors, and take seriously any threats by agitated or troubled students, staff, parents or anyone else.
(4.) Schools should update, train and practice crisis response procedures. Identify facilities for sheltering-in-place or evacuation, conduct drills for lockdown, shelter-in-place, evacuation and transportation procedures. The plan should also identify alternative means of communication other than traditional phone lines.
(5.) Every plan should promote a civil, safe and orderly campus. This means including students, teachers, staff and parents in the crisis response preparations and maintaining order. It may also mean increasing the presence and visibility of the safety personnel by wearing badges, hats or designated items of clothing.
(6.) Manage turbulent times by reinforcing the mission of the school. This can include the promotion of the school�s academic and social mission statement, building knowledge and understanding or world history and conflict, geography, and current issues.
Students can also do a lot to help make schools safer. We can look for behavior in fellow students that may show anger, frustration or depression, and report that behavior to teachers. If there are any rumors of a student bringing a gun or any other weapon to school, we should also report that immediately, even if we think the rumor isn�t true.
These six safety tips are extremely wise and well thought out, and should be used by every school is Texas and the United States. But, there are many other techniques that we should also consider in safety and survival. For instance, if the school was locked down for an extended period of time, how would the parents of the students know not to come and try to retrieve their child? Another thing that wasn�t thought of is the fact that if the school were locked down there would be no where for the people in the school to sleep, not to mention the lack of toiletries and other basic necessities. Schools could establish a program that would inform all parents of a lockdown code, that when issued, they would know not to come for their children. Schools could also keep blankets and other necessary items other than food and water in case of emergency, such as flashlights and medicine. If every school would follow all of these procedures and plan out what they would need and do In case of a crisis, we would all be much better prepared.
I feel that my school has a good crisis management plan in place. We have practice drills and most of the teachers and students seem to know what to do in a crisis situation. Although I do feel that we should really plan out what we would do in case of a hostile scenario a little better. Things would be much different in a real terrorist situation. If we were well prepared and had food and water and a plan in case of an attack, we would be much better off. I hope that most other schools in Texas are prepared for such a situation, but we can never be too prepared.
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