Preparing for the worst: safety drills taken seriously at CMHS

By Eleanor Fisher

Editorial Assistant

According to the Illinois School Safety Drill Act, On average, the school conducts at least 12 to 20 drills annually. These range from the familiar fire and tornado drills to the more complex active shooter scenarios.

Bella Velasco points to the ALICE School Safety Protocol. Photo by Tyler Blackburn.

The necessity of comprehensive preparedness is clear. A survey conducted by the National Association of School Psychologists found that only 25% of students feel adequately prepared for a crisis. This statistic underscores the vital importance of moving beyond simple compliance to comprehensive training and effective execution, which is exactly the goal of our annual drill day.

The core purpose of these drills is to build muscle memory and instill procedures that save lives.

“I know that the two most important ones are the fire drill and the shooter drill. These two are most likely to actually happen so it’s important we know,” Lily Roberts said.

Each drill has its purpose: a fire drill helps people evacuate; a shooter drill helps protect people from an active shooter; and a tornado drill helps people stay safe during the severe weather.

The school must prepare for a wide range of contingencies. State-level legislation says schools are responsible for conducting a minimum of 24 different safety drills throughout the school year. The responsibilities include, but not limited to, planning. Facilitation, debriefing, assessing strengths and challenges, and state reporting.

“always create the safest environment possible. If we do not create a safe environment, our teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn. Safety is a top priority of our school. Our school wide data indicates that we are currently operating in a very safe environment,” administrative dean Mr. Mane said.

However, the efficacy of the drills relies entirely on how seriously they are taken. Students must prepare by listening to announcements and following the teacher’s directions beforehand.

“I think that if we got a warning when kids would take it even less seriously than usual. So no, I don’t think we should get warnings,” Lily Roberts said, highlighting the need for immediate, authentic, responses during drills.

“Most of the kids would follow, but a lot of people say that they would run home if there was a shooter, which is obviously dangerous,” Tyler Curliss said.

This demonstrates a critical procedural breakdown that drills are designed to correct-students must always follow trained staff directions.

Furthermore, there are things many students can and must do to contribute to a safe environment. These include, but are not limited to, following classroom and schoolwide expectations, following the concept of “see something, say something”, learning how to react during drills, carrying a clear bag, and many more.

“This is your school! You are important! You matter! While the adults are here to keep you safe and help you learn, all students play an integral role in helping keep our school safe,” Mr. Mane said.