Which First Responder Agency do You Trust in School Safety Planning?

Brian Gard is a colleague of mine. He works up in Michigan, where he helps maintain the safety and security of the schools in his care.

He recently sent me a question he got from one of his teachers:
"On pg. 12 in our School Crisis Response Team Plan it says that staff should, “close all windows and doors in your area of responsibility.” In this case we took everyone into our boys/girls restrooms because that is the safeties place in our building with no windows. When we had the local police department here last year for a Tornado Drill they had shared with me that we should not close the restroom doors because the people inside may get trapped. What they had shared with me is that if they are opened the police department/fire department can get to them much quicker in the case that a fire had started and or there were items pushed up against the door. So my question is, is it safe to close our restroom doors with people in them during a tornado?"

Brian was asking for advice, and I was glad to give it, as it leads to an important point.

Point #1: When preparing your school for tornadoes, it is best to consult with those who have expertise in that area. I would not go to the NOAA's Storm Prediction Center to ask for their help with Active Shooter Incidents, and I would not recommend going to the police for tornado sheltering advice. The local EMA and/or fire department would be a better way to go in this circumstance.

Point #2: I was happy to see that the school was coordinating with law enforcement. Schools would benefit from more of this coordination, as long as they ask the right people about the right topic.

Point #3: Closed doors improve the stability of the wall. The closed door also provides a barrier to the countless missiles that are created during a tornado.

Make sure you are coordinating your school safety efforts with local first responders, and make sure you are coordinating with the right people. That's how you can Stay Alive in schools.