Fire drills at this school are actually quite enjoyable in the summer, fall and spring. Students have some time to clear away matrices and chromosomes from their thoughts, enjoy the warm sunshine and have a brief chance to converse with friends from other classes. Despite this, there is one key issue with the current way this school operates its fire drills.

While many complain about the freezing weather during winter fire drills, administrators’ hands are, unfortunately, tied. State law mandates that every school conducts at least one drill per month, so drills during winter months are unavoidable. Administration also deliberately schedules fire drills near the end of the month because if the alarm is triggered earlier in the month, the school fulfills their monthly drill requirement; this restricts drill dates to a narrow window, sometimes omitting weeks with warmer weather. Despite these issues, administrators here have done an excellent job ensuring fire drills are quick and efficient, usually wrapping them up in about 10 to 15 minutes; this is especially commendable because of the sheer scale of this school, which can be a major wrench in any drill procedure. 

This problem with this school’s fire drills lies in the confusing system of numbered squares used to assign classes to certain sections of the curb. Most of the time, students become aware of their number when their teacher yells it in a crowded hallway, desperately trying to maintain order while an ear-burning siren drowns their voice out. Many students quickly lose their teacher and their class by falling behind or moving too far ahead, which makes it impossible for them to regroup with their classmates. Even if students make it outside together, there is no guarantee they will be able to find their number with hundreds of kids walking all over the curb.

To remedy this issue, administration could require teachers to display the curb number on a large poster in a prominent location in their room so students will know where to go at a moment’s notice. Administration could also require teachers to review safety procedures (like class curb location) at the beginning of each quarter or right before a drill so that the information is fresh students’ minds. After all, teachers only need to remember one curb number for every class while every student must remember eight distinct curb positions for each of their classes. The curb numbers around the school have also faded, so the administration should consider repainting these squares that are crucial for ensuring the safety of thousands of students.

With sound drill procedures, administration should now consider ironing out the minor issues that will eventually go a long way in improving this school’s drill procedures. With a commitment to excellence, this school must reflect its mission in the protection of its students and staff.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Shawn Feng at [email protected].