A California man, Cedric Anderson, fatally shot his wife inside an elementary school classroom before killing himself on Monday in San Bernardino. Two students were injured in the murder-suicide at North Park Elementary School, and one of those children later died at a hospital. Because of incidents like this, schools have created more plans to keep students and faculty safe and secure.
Schools across the country have implemented different safety precautions, in order to prevent these horrific events from occurring. For example, there are code red drills that are practiced quite frequently, where all of the students have to hide in the classroom and be silent with the lights off, and the door locked. From elementary, to high school, the code red drill is practiced.
Also, schools in Georgia are considering using SPLOST funds to give all faculty and students a key card to swipe to get into buildings, so that there are no intruders. All of the doors in the school would be locked, and the only way anyone can enter is with their key card.
Throughout most schools, there are video surveillance cameras. The administrators can see what is going on in the halls without being there. Also, most schools have at least one police officer on the grounds at all times. So, if something goes wrong, and there is an intruder, he or she can help.
At our school, Officer Wilson gave some tips to prevent potential school shooters or other intruders. He said, “Keeping all exterior doors locked as much as possible is the most important thing, as well as not letting anyone in any doors, regardless if you recognize them.”
Throughout the whole conversation with him, he kept reiterating that students cannot let anyone in any of the doors. They must come in through the front. He continued, and said, “The teachers that go outside during class, like our Outdoor Ed class, must have a pager/ radio with them at all times, just in case something goes wrong, they can notify us.”
Officer Wilson describes our school as a 9.7 out of 10 on a safety scale, and said as long as the doors are locked at all times, and no one is let in, the risks of school shootings and intruders is slim to none.
Schools across the United States have been and are currently implementing different safety tactics to prevent intruders from entering. Protecting faculty and students is the number one priority of schools, and the country is actively adding new technology and other approaches to do so.
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