Fire drills have been a constant in everyone’s academic lives. Once a month, class would be unexpectedly (or expectedly, depending on the teacher) interrupted by the all-too-familiar piercing screech of the fire alarm, and students would set down their pencils, close their laptops, and line up near the door to exit. It was part of everyone’s routine – until, of course, it wasn’t. 

In this new normal, what once was considered the epitome of safety is now, well, not. How are we, as a school, going to balance the overarching hazard of COVID-19 with the essential preparation for fire? Well, in check-in time, students should have been shown a video that had our school’s safety lead, Jeff Bond, explaining some of the issues. Namely, in the event of an authentic fire alarm, COVID-19 concerns are to be mostly ignored. The normal rules also still apply – leave your personal items, don’t talk, and listen for instructions. 

“The health and safety of our community remain paramount and we will continue to do everything and anything we can to ensure we are prepared for all types of emergencies that may occur on campus,” said Mr. Bond. “In addition, we make it a priority to ensure that all fire safety equipment (alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, etc.) are always in good working condition to ensure that our building is always up to code.”

We are living in a strange time, and we must accommodate for the changes as individuals, as a school, and as a community. Be aware that the school is trying to figure things out just as you are. The current times are confusing for everyone, and though precautions are being taken, everything happening now is unprecedented. The show must go on, so let’s work together to keep up the momentum.