By Haylee Jennings

At Flora High School, your safety is number one. Assistant Principal Mr. Pearce explained the current safety measures. Some of the precautions of the school are the locked doors, the new buzzer system that they are trying to get installed, and our teachers are better trained to assess a threat, if necessary.

When I asked Pearce how the safety precautions had changed since he was in school, he said that there were no locked doors, no buzzer system, and there was absolutely no crisis training. I also asked Pearce how the safety measures had changed since he became an administrator, he said that there is a heightened sense of security, focus on locked doors, and a better teacher awareness of any threats.

He also stated that the set up of our building is a problem because we have 14 points of entry, which is great in case of a fire, but not that great for shooter protection. With so many kids propping the doors open, there are more possibilities of someone getting in than normal.

This year the administration has assembled a mock shooting as a precaution and to prepare the teachers for any possible threat. The junior high teachers will act as the students while the high school teachers are going to try and protect them from the “shooter.” This drill will be associated with the local and state police. This drill will test to see if the teachers are prepared, the police’s response time and the administration’s communication with the teachers.

When asked if he thought we were ready for any threat, Pearce responded “I don’t know if anyone is completely ready for something like this. Look at Sandy Hook, all precautions were taken.” He is confident in the staff and he is sure that they will know what to do in a crisis situation. He also expressed “I will feel better when the new buzzer system is up and running.”

Pearce explained how we could better ready ourselves for what we aren’t

prepared for. He said expect the unexpected. If all staff, teachers, and students work together to shut the doors and report any curiosities or threats. He explained that we have to foresee a real threat at our school or any school.

“Increased camera numbers and quality,” is just one of the things that Pearce said he would love to see in the next couple of years. He continued to say that the district spent several thousands of dollars on new push button locks for the school and more training for the teachers.

Pearce was asked if he thought that the news influenced children or teen thought. He replied with “Yes, I definitely think that there are copy cats, but the news is doing a better job of not showing the faces or the names of the criminals so they don’t get the glamour of their crime.”