After Cliff Hackman, Assistant Principal, and Hamilton Heights Primary School and HHSC School Safety Coordinator, fielded a number of calls from parents expressing concerns and anxiety related to the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., he had an idea. With the monthly fire drill approaching, Hackman wanted to take advantage of a teachable moment.
During fire drills, once students are out of the building, teachers like Anna Felgenhauer hold up the green OK card, signifying all students are present and ready to return to the building once it is declared safe. (Photo provided)
While the school setting remains one of the safest and most secure places for students, Hackman understands the concerns. He reached out to the local fire departments to see if they would like to participate in Heights regularly scheduled monthly fire drill. They were more than happy to help and arrived in force.
Personnel from Jackson Township Fire Department and the Cicero Fire Department were excited to be present at the fire drills, interact with students throughout and provide a little safety education while they were there. Members of the media were there to capture the moment and help share the message about how one rural district continues its proactive safety efforts in the wake of a national tragedy.
Personnel in uniforms are a familiar sight for students at Hamilton Heights who have active and engaged School Resource Officers (SRO) at each of the four buildings. Local fire and emergency personnel are familiar and welcome sights. The local departments often bring equipment and personnel to the schools throughout the year for special educational and safety awareness programs and career days.
Josh Ireland, a member of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, a SRO at the Primary and Elementary Schools, said the safety of students and personnel is first and foremost. “When it comes to these monthly drills, we have it down to a science,” said Deputy Ireland. “Even our youngest students know the procedure. We have our entire population out of the building, checked and cleared for re-entry in a matter of minutes. “Today was a treat because of the presence of the various first responders, emergency and fire personnel.”
David Plummer, a firefighter/EMT with Jackson Township Fire Department, is pictured interacting with students at Hamilton Heights Primary School after the fire drill. (Photo provided by Heather Sauder)
“While these young students may not be aware of the conversations and stories taking place at the national level regarding safety, we are pleased to take a proactive stance in working with our local school schools on situational awareness education and training,” said Jackson Township Fire Department Chief, Jeff Muszar. “In addition, our department in cooperation with the Cicero Fire Department along with the on-site SRO’s are planning future cooperative training events involving multiple public safety agencies to coordinate responses to school emergencies.”