As the start of the school year draws closer, safety is on the mind of all Emporia Public Schools officials.
The district is currently in the midst of a needs assessment of all facilities. A key component of that is addressing doors that can create quick barriers in the event of an intruder but also doesn’t hinder an evacuation, which is new but has become a huge priority. On a recent KVOE Talk of Emporia program, Emporia High Assistant Principal Trevor Mathews said the major training piece for all teachers, staff and students to go through is called Run, Hide, Fight.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kelly Bolin says there are three different types of lockdowns and a level one and level two lockdown are done often times to restrict access in and out of a building for different reasons. A level three lockdown does mean there is an imminent threat to safety. Bolin says on a level three situation, parents need to avoid calling or texting their children.
Parents can also create more harm by coming to the school in an emergency incident by interfering with emergency responders. Bolin says the district will always do its best to provide accurate, timely information on any situation.
The district was recently awarded a state safety grant totaling $84,500 to improve infrastructure and training, setting up systems to lock doors safely and improve bus safety in the case of an emergency. Mathews says door magnets are being implemented at facilities across the district also to make doors more secure at a moment’s notice.
It’s also important to discuss safety with young children. Bolin suggests creating age-appropriate games that ask children what to do in different scenarios, such as who can be silent the longest, a homage to one teacher whose students survived the Sandy Hook, Connecticut shooting incident in 2012.
The full interview from the Aug. 3 Talk of Emporia is below.
