KEEPING schools a safer learning place for students, public schools ensured disaster preparedness for the recently opened school year.
The Baguio Central School (BCS) will re-organize its School Disaster Management Committee (SMDC) composed of teachers, Parent Teacher Association members, pupil government and volunteers.
Principal William Rilveria assured the SDMC will be active all the time to do immediate response against threats and emergencies in schools.
He said a series of trainings will be arranged not only for the brigade but also to students and teachers to gain more knowledge and experience in earthquake, fire and other disaster drills. He added the school will try to invite speakers from the Baguio City Police Office, Office of the Civil Defense or Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) for more accurate lectures and demonstration of exercises.
Aside from the Staff Development training mandated by the Department of Education held May 29, which serves as the briefing of teachers, BCS also added a Fire Prevention Safety Training as their first disaster preparedness action for the school year.
"We always prepare our pupils," he said noting the school already has escape plans and designated evacuation areas in times of disasters and has informed pupils about it.
There are also continuous lectures about disasters preparedness incorporated on the pupils' subjects especially in HEKASI and Science.
For health emergencies, the public school has a clinic manned with clinic teachers and nurses sent on schedule by the DepEd division office.
Rilveria said they are also now controlling the entry of people in schools so as to avoid destruction of classes and for further protection of students. Parents are given a specific time when they can send and see to the needs of their children in school and are only allowed in the school campus during class hours in case of emergencies.
The principal assumed all other schools are trying their best to keep their schools safe from any threats to student's safety as it is their responsibility to keep their pupils feel secured in their second home.