School safety sparks changes in security
It has created a media frenzy across the nation. The coverage began with Columbine, and the meaningless deaths of two troubled teens, 12 unsuspecting students and one brave teacher. Most recently, school-related violence has sparked further attention from the media. An adult male entered a high school in Colorado, killing one student. A 15-year-old student in Wisconsin shot and killed his high school principal. A 32-year-old troubled man entered an Amish school, killing five innocent girls, and then himself. School violence did not begin with Columbine, and it did not end after the final shot in the Amish school. School violence is an everyday issue that merits very real, and very definite plans, procedures, and policies in schools across the nation, including our own.
ONAWAY AREA Community Schools (OACS) has not had to deal with school violence on the same scale as many schools across the nation. Perhaps the most severe disciplinary problems the school has had to deal with in its past are periodic physical altercations between students; however, it would be na?ve to believe that because violence has never been a problem in the past, it never will be in the future. In response, and in order to be a vigilant school system, OACS has begun taking steps to school safe.
A recent state decision mandates schools to undergo two lock-down drills per school year. A lock-down is a procedural plan to secure classrooms and students if an incident were to occur. An inside lock-down would occur if there were a threat to students inside the school, such as a shooting. An outside lock-down would go into motion if there were an outside threat to the school, meaning no one would be allowed to enter or leave. For example, this type of lock-down would be used if an inmate were to escape from a local jail.
Superintendent Bob Szymoniak said Onaway Schools have undergone one lock-down drill so far this year, and has its second one planned for later in the school year.
?Our first drill went very well,? said Szymoniak. ?We generated a list of areas to improve upon, but the students and staff responded appropriately.?
One concern the school had with the lock-down procedure had to do with timing, and the inability to control when an incident might occur.
?We were concerned with how a substitute teacher would react,? said Szymoniak. ?Would they be able to lock the classroom doors as needed??
In quick response to this concern, the school ordered new knobs for classroom doors that would activate a locking mechanism from inside. Szymoniak said the first lock-down drill also uncovered other small problems that would need to be corrected.
?We found out our PA system did not reach a particular classroom,? said Szymoniak. ?The teacher and students in the room did not even realize a drill was occurring, because the PA system did not work. That is going to be fixed.?
Szymoniak believes the lock-down drills are positive moves in the right direction for schools. ?We learned a lot from our first drill,? said Szymoniak. ?(The drills) are good to do.?
BESIDES THE lock-down drills, OACS are strengthening school security in other ways. For instance, the high school installed a new security camera system at the beginning of this school year.
?We installed the cameras the first week of school,? said Szymoniak. ?A homeland security grant paid for most ? we received eight cameras with the grant. We purchased another four cameras, so we have a total of 12 placed throughout the school.?
Szymoniak said the cameras give good coverage within the school, as well as outside on school grounds. Monitors in the school?s media center, resource officer office, and the main office allow for the cameras to be in view of someone at all times.
Resource Officer Lewis Robinson, who has been a deputy of the Presque Isle County Sheriff Department since 1988, also has worked toward enhancing school safety. Szymoniak said Robinson has been an asset to the school system, and students have gained more respect for law enforcement since he became an addition to the staff.
?(Robinson) handles any legal issues in the school, such as truancy, theft or assaults,? said Szymoniak. ?The big thing he does for us is proactive police work. He intervenes before problems become bigger issues.?
Szymoniak said Robinson goes into classrooms and educates students on legal issues, and explains laws. ?The students see him as a good guy whose job is to protect and serve, rather than view him in a negative light,? said Szymoniak.
Robinson agrees, and said he has seen good changes in student behavior since he first began as the resource officer four years ago.
?The students are getting used to me being here,? said Robinson. ?I have a good rapport with them, and it pays to be here every day.?
NOT ONLY has Robinson helped keep the schools safe with his physical presence, he also has worked hard toward securing safety equipment for the schools.
?Officer Robinson secured three Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units in the school, and is working on getting one more,? said Szymoniak. ?He also has organized a team of students that report to his office to assist with any catastrophes.?
This is the second year Robinson has implemented what he calls the ?Orange Team,? which is a group of senior students who are officially trained in CPR and AED units in case of emergency situations.
?This helps the students gain some training,? said Robinson. ?We are able to use them as an added resource to help in assisting with emergencies.?
The Orange Team students and all staff have now been trained with the AED units, largely in part to Officer Robinson. He said last year, the senior class donated money to purchase a fourth AED unit.
?If things go right, we?ll have that fourth one here soon,? said Robinson. ?It is a portable unit that can be used at sporting events, which would save someone from having to run to the school to get one. It is a very nice device to have on hand.?
The other three AED units are mounted in strategic areas within the school. These security and safety measures, among others, have kept OACS vigilant.
?You can never plan enough for a critical incident,? said Szymoniak. ?We have done a pretty thorough job of training and preparing our staff, and we will continue to explore other avenues of school safety.?