PASD Conducts Annual Security Drill
This past week, Punxsutawney Area School District conducted their annual school security drill.
Pennsylvania School Code (24 P.S. § 15-1517) requires schools to conduct one security drill within the first 90 days of the school year. An announcement of the drill was made on social media and through the district’s text alert system, notifying parents and guardians of the drill days before it was conducted.
While the purpose of the drill focused on traditional lockdown procedures, the school district follows the “Run, Hide, Fight” model which promotes situational awareness, the ability to perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one's situation based on circumstances and common sense.
“For our drill, we focused solely on the hiding aspect. Faculty, staff, and students were instructed to have conversations with their students about the “Run, Hide, Fight” model as well as other safety and security protocols and considerations within their classrooms,” said Kyle Gordon, who serves as the district’s safety and security coordinator as well as the high school’s assistant principal.
“We use the phrase, “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight,” to simplify the expectations in this scenario; it is an effective model, and the execution of the drill was nearly flawless,” said Gordon. “So many individuals play a role in maintaining a safe learning environment. It’s a team effort. From our students to our faculty and staff, to our families, and certainly our first responders - we have a great team in Punxsutawney.”
Information about the district’s emergency protocols and other resources pertaining to school safety can be found on the Punxsutawney Area School District’s website under the tab, “School Safety.”
