Some students here at JCHS feel that lock down drills do not completely prepare students in case of a real emergency. There is not enough seriousness in it for students to take it seriously, perhaps even if it was a real situation. Not every drill has to prepare for the worst, but it’s important to make sure students take them seriously.

Making a lockdown drill efficient should be more than just locking the door, hiding and waiting. Making sure the students know and understand the procedures of a lockdown are also necessary. Students should be prepared for anything that may occur in a real situation so that they are more prepared for them. It is unsafe to assume that any intruder will only come at certain times of day or will just go around looking for any random victim. Many understand that certain times of school days are more susceptible to an intruder, especially around lunch hours. Also, if drills are the same each time then students will only know what to do for those types of situations.

Making lock down drills realistic is important, but some are worried that making them too realistic will scare the students. Another thing to worry about is all the steps taken during a lock down. Classrooms with windows risk being spotted putting down their blinds when they don’t act fast enough. Classrooms with windows by their doors also have to worry about covering those so that they cannot be seen inside the class. Some people try to block off the doors also, but don’t really take the precautions of whether or not the things covering the door are visible on the outside. Bags should be moved out of sight to make the class look like it is truly empty.

Some students also do not follow the procedures during a lock down, especially when it comes to keeping quiet so an intruder cannot hear you in the classroom. Breaking procedures risks the entire class, whether it is just a drill or a real situation.

If our school is going to do lock down drills they need to be more realistic to make sure students take them seriously. There is no way to completely prepare for a real situation, but the best thing we can do is prepare the best we can.