It's uncanny how much of my life or programs will fall into my path during courses I am taking, and I can use those experiences or episodes to tie into school discussions or assignments. Take this week for example. I have just started a class in communications and public speaking. It started on Monday. It was the same day that at least one of the elementary schools in our area had a fire drill. I know this because I was there.
Yesterday the fire alarm went off again. Word came over the walkie-talkies that "Everyone needs to be out of the building. This is NOT a drill." Some of the students heard that, but not everyone did. The drill took place during class. The more serious threat was during lunches. The children were safe. I suspected that the fire was not a major fire but more of a trash-fire although I had no way of knowing for certain. I personally had not heard the word "fire" but had heard one of the custodians requesting a need for the fire department. It could have been a bad chemical in the air. I didn't know. I tried to focus on the comforting the children with positive thoughts.
Rumors get out of hand on face-book and fires spread more quickly on social media than the flames near the faulty outlet or the smoke traveling down the hall. Parents panic and make the situation worse when they hurry to the school to and demand to check out their students right now. They are only making it worse for the emergency vehicles that need to get through the safety of the children that need to be accounted for. None of the parents had been contacted about the fire drill that we had on Monday but all of them seemed to know about the fire trucks coming to the school in response to an actual emergency.
The kids were safe. The educators were safe. There was an orderly manner of conduct - though perhaps not as smooth as it had been on Monday. Still, everyone had been accounted for and were allowed to return to the school in under thirty minutes. Parents need to learn to trust the system. Hey, I'm a parent. I have a student who's been on lockdown more than once. She has been a part of fire drills, earthquake drills, and more recently intruder lock-down drills. And I have trusted the system. I know that my efforts to contact the school will only interfere with or delay the safety of my child. I need to have faith in those who are with her and in a higher being. Things will work out the way they're supposed to. I feel blessed that I am not afraid. I am grateful to all the educators who stand with our children and protect them. I have always been grateful to the firefighters - especially in this area where I currently reside. Most of them are volunteers.
They went into the school. They took care of the situation at hand. Everybody is fine. Well . . . I know there are parents who are not fine. Perhaps they will never be fine. Fire drills are a way of preparing for a cause or event. Perhaps the parents should practice understanding the system and make it a priority to have a bit of faith and not panic! I have more appreciation for walkie-talkies and other devices of communication. This week and last month have helped me to prepare.
