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Do staff members have immediate lockdown
capability in classrooms and other locations?
Whenever staff and students are in a crisis, predictable
questions arise -- how do we call for help, protect students,
and resolve the situation? Every location on campus has
to be prepared to serve as a haven during a crisis. Unfortunately,
most would be very difficult to lockdown with a moments
notice, and only some have reliable intercoms, telephones,
or other communication devices, readily available.
Are your teachers prepared to lockdown a classroom in
the event of an emergency? Classrooms and many other areas
have outward-opening doors, designed to meet fire and building
code exit requirements. If a door is standing open during
an emergency, a teacher will have to reach into the hallway,
which could be the scene of the crime, to pull the door
closed. There is the possibility that the teacher will
have to insert a key on the outside of the door in order
to lock the door. Entrapment is also a risk in any classroom
or office. If an intruder blocks a classroom door, students
will need a secondary escape route. Consider the number
of steps each teacher has to perform in order to create
a safe space for students during a crisis. Having to perform
too many actions, coupled with the physiological stress
of the emergency event itself, can increase the risk of
failure. |
