As the principal of an elementary school, it is your obligation to ensure that students remain protected while they are in the care of one of the staff members. Perform fire drills and enforce safety standards throughout the premises. Inform the parents of the students about the drills and safety precautions so that they are reassured that their children are being protected.
Learn About The Fire Alarm And Have Upgrades Performed
If you are relatively new to the school, you need to familiarize yourself with the fire alarm. The best way to do this is by hiring a fire alarm services technician who installs and inspects safety equipment. If the alarm is an older model, it will be in everyone's best interest to have the system replaced with a modern model. The alarm pulls and speakers that run to the system should also be checked out to ensure that they are working properly.
Once the system is deemed safe for use, hold an assembly that involves telling the staff members and students about the fire alarm and the pulls. Let everyone know that they are to steer clear of the pulls unless an emergency is present. Viewing smoke or flames are both viable reasons to activate the alarm.
It is also vital that you instill a set of steps that you would like each teacher and student to complete if an emergency is present. Teachers should keep class lists on their desks so that they can each retrieve a list prior to lining their students up and leading them outdoors.
All children should be accounted for immediately and if anyone is missing, direct the teachers to inform you so that a search can begin right away. Practice the fire drills on random occasions and inform the teachers about any changes in the drill procedures if you find that the current ones aren't working efficiently.
Enforce Safety Standards
No running in the hallways, speaking in quiet voices, and prohibiting items that could be potentially dangerous can all be added to your list of safety standards. Think of some additional ways to keep everyone safe. Are there broken items in the school that could become a hazard? Are furnishings not as stable as you would like them to be?
Write down any areas of concern that you have and bring these matters up at the next school board meeting. If your observations seem valid, fixing equipment or purchasing new items will help keep the school safe and secure.
