Gunning for Safety
On Nov. 14, one of the most traumatic mass shootings in America’s history took place at Sandy Hooks Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Of the 28 casualties, 20 were children.
Moreover, six administrators, the shooter and his mother died.
As a result of this tragedy the question arose: how safe are public schools?
The Los Angles Unified School District has instructed police officers to perform random, frequent and imminent checkups at all 600 district schools.
Peninsula is also taking similar actions to greater increase security within the school, including cooperating with the local police station.
“We’ve asked the sheriff to make unannounced rounds to check on the school,” Associate Principal Micah Ferrell said.
After hearing about the tragic news regarding the shooting, both principal Mitzi Cress and superintendant Walker Williams sent out an email describing Peninsula’s course of action should any emergency situations take place.
“The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District takes its responsibility to provide the safest school environment possible very seriously,” Superintendant Walker Williams said via email.
“I want to ensure you that the district has systems and procedures in place to protect both students and staff as best we can.”
Principal Mitzi Cress’s address focused on Peninsula’s specific security measures and its campus impact.
Cress has met with the police to formulate a plan for possible emergencies that could take place and to increase awareness regarding actions that have to be taken in the event of a crisis.
In fact, many students are unaware that Peninsula’s evacuation site is the Unitarian Church.
“As principal of Peninsula High, the safety of every child on this campus is my top priority,” Cress said. “We have an excellent relationship with the Lomita Sheriff Department and we have two sheriff resource officers that are on daily standby to respond immediately to any needs Peninsula High might have.”
Several steps are being taken in order to increase emergency preparedness.
All staff members at Peninsula have been issued an ID card, which includes their names and positions at the school.
These IDs will be crucial in the new security plans, and adults on campus without one will be asked to check into the office immediately.
During events, campus security and staff will wear special attire in order to be easily recognizable in the event of an emergency. In addition, teachers will be notified in advance when a parent or a visitor is on campus and plans on visiting classrooms.
“If you see an adult without a nametag on campus, you must take action,” Cress said.
The administration is also working towards providing more safety necessities in the classrooms, such as blinds in every room and more packaged food and water that are essential during a lockdown.
“There are many little things we can do to improve our safety measures,” Cress said.
Furthermore, the district has taken the uniqueness of each classroom into consideration while improving emergency plans.
Lockdown drills, which are a crucial part in preparing for an emergency, will be implemented during different periods of the day, not just during the typical third period class. This will better simulate an emergency situation. The district has also been advised to invest in a mechanism that enables doors to be locked from the inside, called “School Safe”. This latch can prop a locked door open but can be operated from the inside so teachers can close doors quickly.
During staff meetings, Associate Principal Micah Farrell reiterated that preparedness is the key to handling any unexpected situation. Farrell added that every small action taken to improve safety conditions within each classroom is worth the district’s investment.
