Be Better Prepared for School Emergencies
Schools and universities that are taking steps now to upgrade their emergency response protocols will be in better shape, be better prepared and less stressed when the next disaster occurs.
By ARC Facilities
Schools and universities that are taking steps now to upgrade their emergency response protocols will be in better shape, be better prepared and less stressed when the next disaster occurs.
The key to successful emergency response is understanding building systems and infrastructure from a facility management perspective.
In many cases, facilities teams rely on their most experienced team members to recall the locations of shut-offs, electrical panels and other equipment. That kind of thinking is risky when every second counts.
Facility teams, administrators, teachers, first responders, incident commanders, police and fire departments that know local school buildings inside and out are better equipped to handle emergencies.
“Redundancy in knowledge should be a best practice,” said Marco Gaylord, Chief of School Operations & Communications at Middletown School District.
Key Factors in Emergency Response: Information, Speed, Access
When distance between sites, building age and emergencies are factored, it’s clear that information must be accessible to all, but how can that be accomplished when most schools have scattered emergency plans, evacuation routes, O&Ms and as-builts in plan rooms and on hard drives?
The answer can be found in the palm of your hand on your mobile device.
ARC Facilities has helped dozens of schools and universities eliminate paper chaos by moving decades of documentation from messy plan rooms onto mobile devices, backed up on the cloud, eliminating worries about them being damaged or lost.
As a result, users can:
- Quickly find shut-offs
- Identify exits, alarm panels, surveillance cameras, fire pull stations, fire extinguishers and more
- Pull up floor plans and see locations of electrical panels, gas and water shutoffs in seconds
- Conduct remote troubleshooting
- Text emergency info and building plans to first responders
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