Residing in an area as peaceful and secluded as Medstead lends to a lifestyle of peace, nature and opportunities for a more traditional lifestyle for children; fewer smartphones and more walks in the woods.
It is easy to lose sight of the world around and the preparations that still need to be made to safely coexist with the fear and threats that often seem to be outside our realm of calm.
One institution that certainly must keep this paradox in mind is the school, which cares for our most vulnerable population. A good reminder of the school鈥檚 plans to protect the youth from the seen and unseen occurred May 2.
In the mid afternoon, the school population found itself startled with an alarm noting 鈥渢his is not a drill鈥� coming through the intercoms. Immediately, the school was evacuated safely, using the buddy system and travelling off school grounds to a predetermined muster point. Students and staff alike were alarmed, though kept diligently and safely to the routine.
Shannon Lessard, communications director of Living Sky School Division, said the source of the issue was discerned to be a code that can be typed into the school鈥檚 phone system to indicate a problem and the codes vary according to problem. Lessard indicated the code used was that associated with a natural gas leak. The communications director notes there are separate codes for instances such as a bomb threat or intruder in the building. In the event of a fire threat, the alarm is simply pulled and emergency services are dispatched.
If a code is typed into the school鈥檚 internal system, after evacuation is conducted, a representative of the school is to call the Living Sky central office, Lessard says. There the technical support group will ascertain exactly what room the call originated from. This is used to verify a problem and to prevent dispatch of service if it is a false alarm. Once the room has been identified, the administration of the school can ascertain whether there is a true risk or a slip of the fingers.
Living Sky School District learned this alarm was caused by a school employee attempting to use the intercom and inadvertently typing in the wrong code. According to Lessard, the staff member who triggered the alarm was not aware they had instigated the protocol and simply acted according to the evacuation procedure.
Though this instance was in error, it serves to remind parents of the measures that the school takes to protect our youth and the systematic checks and balances that allow for surety before action.
听
