Posted by Greg Atwood on August 28, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Good morning parents. I hope everyone had a fun and safe summer with the kids because now, as if you already didn’t know, it is time to send them back to school. I am more than positive that each and every one of you is well versed in supply lists and projects that will all be due on the first day, not to mention the beginning of homework. Well before the kids get any homework, I would like to take this opportunity to give you the parents some homework of your own for this brand new school year.
The assignment I have for you is about making sure and it comes in 2 parts:
As a parent, aside from the required vaccinations and records you must submit to the school, the first part of your assignment is to make sure that the school, the school nurse, the teachers and anyone else that will be caring for your child at school is aware of any conditions they may have that could pose a problem or delay in an emergency. For example: Allergies, Asthma, or even Heart Conditions. As a paramedic, the number one problem I have faced at schools is the lack of knowledge about the student and the ability to quickly contact parents. The best way I can recommend to take care of these situations is to schedule meetings with these people and talk to them about your child.
The second part of making sure is asking questions. Schools generally hold meetings or back to school nights where parents have time to ask questions of administrators and teachers. Given the world we live in now and what we see every day on the news, I would like you to ask your school what they have done in preparation for given emergencies. Are ALL the teachers CPR / First Aid certified or only a select few? Does each class have first aid equipment or just the main office? Has the school done any specific training on active shooter situations? Does the school have a set plan in place to handle any of these situations? What kind of communication will the school have with parents in an emergency? Phone, text, email etc.
I know these are not the types of things we would like to think about when we send our children off to school, but they are real concerns. Please take the time and find out what types of plans the school has made because in an emergency, information will be vital and plans are necessary.
Thank you and have a safe school year!
*Photo credit: Innovation_School; CC license
