School Safety and Security - Part 1

School safety and security is on every one's mind since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary last December.  What policies and procedures does your school have and is it time to review those in light of that tragedy?

Many of our school clients have contacted our firm in the last month and have asked to have an analysis of their safety and security systems and buildings. It has not been so much of a knee jerk reaction to Sandy Hook, but many are asking- what can we do better to keep our students safe? 

The first part of this blog will address the issues of natural threats and disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, fire etc. The second part will address man made threats. 

Natural disasters come in many forms, for us in the midwest it is tornadoes, for those on the east coast it is hurricanes, for those on the west coast it is earthquakes and fires.  We still remember the tornado that hit Joplin, Ms in May of 2011 and destroyed the high school. Had the students moved to the hallways, as many school disaster policies and procedures direct, many more lives would have been lost. This has caused many to re-evaluate their procedures and look for alternative ways to protect students during natural disasters.

What can be done in the design and construction of schools to offer more safety?

First, you can select building materials that can withstand substantial impact such as cast concrete or reinforced masonry for the wall systems. Roof deck assemblies made of light weight concrete offer a more dense material than metal decking for example. As we strive to make our schools more open with large amounts of glass and glazing, keep in mind that flying glass accounts for most of the injuries incurred in natural disasters. Consider providing impact resistant glazing that will prevent it from becoming airborne. Secondly, consider providing safe room shelters within the school. These are self-contained rooms that can hold large numbers of students for a limited time. Several locations throughout the school is advised since extreme storms can form quickly, allowing only a limited time to move students to the safe rooms. 

Keep these factors in mind when designing the safe rooms; 
1) the area must be big enough to keep order and supervise the students 
2) the area must remain clear for use when needed
3) doors should open inward so people can exit if debris piles up 
4) doors should have three bolts and there should be protocols on when to shut them, communicate with the outside and open them.
5) openings like doorways and duct penetrations should have meandering pathways so debris missiles cannot enter directly into the space
6) intentionally 'hardened' gym spaces can meet all of the considerations.

For more information you can contact Curtis Clay, Assoc Director of Educational and Training Services with the Texas School Safety Center at www.txssc.txstate.edu or Mr Allen Lawrence.

Michael King AIA