In 2022, over thirty states require that public schools maintain an active safety plan, which details what steps should be taken by students, faculty, and staff should a disastrous event or other emergency occur. By creating an effective school safety plan for emergencies, school functions, or everyday protocols, schools can ensure the safety of students and staff alike.
If you are a parent, teacher, or administrator working on a school safety plan for the upcoming academic year, here are some things to consider.
A school safety plan should include a map of school grounds and floorplans with all exits clearly marked.
These can be included on your map. Pick meeting points either on or around school grounds, or a space where students know to go should something go wrong or should they need to be picked up by a parent. This can be during an emergency, like an evacuation, or during everyday after-school pickup.
Utilizing safety equipment such as crowd control barricades in high-traffic areas such as cafeterias or hallways or traffic safety barriers in areas like the parking lot can improve safety measures in all situations. Whether it is during daily school activities or at large after-school events, these barriers can add a level of organization that ensures the safety of all people in attendance.
In addition to utilizing equipment that aims to maintain order in the event of an emergency, having materials such as flashlights, first aid kits, and walkie-talkies on hand can be life-saving, should the unthinkable happen.
Assigning roles to certain individuals ahead of time can make things go smoothly in the event of an emergency or disaster. For example, one staff member can be assigned to close and lock doors in the event of an intruder or a teacher can be placed in charge of taking a headcount of students after an evacuation due to fire. Laying out these details in your school safety plan will prevent important steps from being forgotten or repeated when time is limited and every minute counts.
Your school safety plan should go hand in hand with your official safety policies, which should include information about how to engage with parents and the community after a disaster occurs.
Having an official school safety plan is crucial so that students, teachers, and parents alike know what to expect and what steps to take should an emergency occur. Taking steps to make your school safer every day is the key to ensuring that your school’s safety plan can be implemented effectively. At OTW Safety, we are passionate about providing the highest quality of safety equipment available. For information on items like barricades and how they can protect students both in everyday life and during emergency situations, contact us at (801) 363-7740 or orders@OTWsafety.com.
