Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Preparing for Emergencies

  • By Thom Jones
  • 11/01/17

Performing drills disrupts the flow of an already-full school day. Without adding more time to the drill, how can schools ensure they are getting the most value from these activities?

Teach staff to initiate the drill. The principal typically announces a drill. But the person most likely to encounter an emergency, like a strange odor or a student with a knife, is actually a staff member. Teaching staff to initiate drills gives them the means and responsibility to help keep students safe.

Use scenarios to put the drill in context. When a real emergency hits, emotion and adrenaline will significantly affect how successfully everyone responds. Scenarios put drills in context and incorporate a level of emotion and adrenaline. For example, the principal hands a 6th grade math teacher the following scenario printed on an index card, “You’re in the middle of teaching a class when you and several students notice smoke and flames coming through the ceiling tiles just over your head. Go!” Now, it’s up to the teacher to respond and alert the building.

Assess the fidelity of your safety plan. In addition to preparing for various emergencies, drills tell you if your safety plan works. We’ve all encountered situations where what looks good on paper doesn’t hold up in a real scenario. Documenting lessons and modifying your safety plan is critical to ensuring a safe learning environment.

Putting drills in context and empowering staff to initiate them improves staff engagement, better preparing everyone to respond effectively during a drill or emergency. It ensures the right safety plan is in place, which is valuable.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Thom Jones is the general manager of NaviGate Prepared. He can be reached at 740/963-3141.

Featured

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.