A rise in school shootings have become a more common issue in recent years, and with that reality comes the need for more lockdown drills. In a survey conducted by Nora Vedder, a former staff member of ENO, only 65% answered that they would follow the taught procedure if a real situation took place. That number shouldn’t be 65 or even 95, but 100%.
Our administration needs to increase the number of drills to prepare for all circumstances.
One of the biggest concerns for students is how to respond if a lockdown were to ever occur during lunch or before school. The state of Texas requires that two lockdown drills be held per school year (one per semester). PHS implements and follows a program called Standard Response Protocol, a set of safety plans put into place during critical situations. While the administration here takes great measures to ensure students remain safe, a majority of drills are held during instructional time or advisory. If an emergency situation were to ever occur during lunch periods or before school hours, students and staff wouldn’t know the proper steps to take. Increased panic will only make it more difficult to ensure everyone remains safe. Open settings such as the cafeteria provide no protection, so what would be the procedure in that case?
In addition, the use of the gates before 8:35 a.m. restricts students and staff from finding shelter. While the gates do keep students from wandering the halls before school, they may provide a barrier from a safe haven if an intruder incident did occur. Drills should be held to deal with these other situations to train all on what to do in these lunch-time and before-school scenarios, as well.
Furthermore, the frequency of lockdown drills should be increased. With only the two required per year, more students risk the chance of missing out on a drill. Whether it be an absence, being on the bus to another school, or a late arrival, not all students get the practice they need. Students can’t be expected to know how to cooperate with expectations for non-classroom situations without any prior instruction. Having at least two to three practices per semester, covering a variety of circumstances, would ensure that every individual knows the proper protocol.
Our administration should make sure there is more than enough practice in these situations so that 100% of students are certain about their safety.
This editorial is the opinion of the Eagle Nation Online Editorial Board. Assistant Editor Anisha Mandem wrote this on the staff’s behalf.
