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	EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS - A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE Matthew Reames Roanoke City, Virginia As a teacher, I read and watch the media’s accounts of school violence from a different perspective as some other people. I react with horror and disbelief as most of the country does, but I also react with a real sense of fear that a similar incident could occur in my school tomorrow. Teachers and other school employees also find themselves wondering what they would do and how they would react in the face of such violence. How school personnel react during, or even before, emergencies can often affect the outcome of such an event. The purpose of this article is not to identify hazards or to provide a model disaster plan. Such resources are readily available from a variety of sources. Instead, I hope to share a teacher’s perspective as it relates to school preparedness.
Most people can probably remember the school fire drills they had as children. When the bell or horn sounded, everyone stopped what they were doing and lined up to leave the building. Many students saw it as a chance to get out of class for a few minutes. As teachers, we often view such interruptions as just that, as something that takes away from our already-scarce teaching time. During the drills, how often do we really demand that our students walk quickly and silently from the building? Do we insist that students take these drills seriously or do we simply want to herd them out, turn around, and get back to class? What we need to remember is that these fire drills are preparing our students in what to do if there is a need to leave the building in a crisis, be it a fire, a bomb threat, or other emergency. Successful preparation could result in lives saved. Unsuccessful preparation could be disastrous. Does your school have an emergency plan? Have you seen it? Is it up-to-date? Do you know your role in an emergency? That last question is probably the most important question for a teacher. Chances are, other people are responsible for seeing that the plan has been written and updated, and that the plan is practiced. In an emergency, however, it is critical that you know what you are supposed to do and where you are supposed to go. Now is a great opportunity for you to track down that plan if you have not seen it. Ask when it was last updated. Read it thoroughly and understand it. Ask questions now, before the crisis hits. Once the crisis hits, there will not be much chance to ask questions.
Sometimes emergencies happen that do not require a mass evacuation of the school. What would you do if a child started choking in the cafeteria? How would you react if a substitute teacher collapsed on the floor? Who would you call if a parent clutched his chest and began to sweat profusely during a conference? Because early CPR is a critical factor in the survival rates for cardiac arrest victims, it is crucial to be able to provide it when necessary. There may not be time to find out who in your building is trained in CPR, if anyone. Few things are worse than having to say, "I saw it happen but I didn’t know what to do."
Although teachers are not replacements for trained emergency response personnel, teachers are the first on the scene in emergency situations. By spending some time now to prepare, to ask questions, and maybe to take a class or two, you have a much better chance of successfully responding to an emergency and helping to save lives.

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