Happy New Year! Welcome to a new decade.
It’s with so much joy that we begin another phase of fulfilling the HEI mission THAT NONE SHOULD DIE. Focused on the pursuit of preventing needless death, equipping thousands of people with the ability to doubly increase the chances of survival of emergency victims and primarily providing funds for treatment to indigent patients in public health institutions, we stay committed to saving lives.
The year has started and life rolls on, business activities and schools have resumed. Here’s to a cheerful welcome from all of us at HEI to you. We love you and your safety at all times is important to us. So, we explore some safety and emergency preparedness knowledge needed in schools.
School administrators, teachers, students, faculty and administrators can prepare themselves for emergencies at school in a number of ways, from conducting regular, emergency-specific drills to making sure the building’s infrastructure is up to code. Schools need to be adequately equipped with knowledge and skills on how to respond to emergency appropriately and recover as quickly and effectively as possible.
HOW TO GET YOUR SCHOOL PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY
Thoughtful planning and preparation can help ensure the safety of students and staff during emergency occurrence. Here are tips to help the preparation process for emergency:
Consider the buildings
- Before you go fully into planning for emergency, consider the structure of your school buildings. You could seek out an architect to evaluate the building and help you understand the peculiarity of the structure of your building so that your emergency plans can align with the features your school’s structure.
Secure furniture
- Any tall shelving, audio-visual equipment and heavy computer cabinets should be secured to the wall. Try to avoid placing heavy objects on shelves or other surfaces where they might fall during severe shaking.
Create a cache of emergency supplies
- Ensure that the school’s emergency supplies are fully stocked and can adequately cater for at least 10% of the school’s total population at a go.
Familiarity with Safety Procedures
- Make sure students are familiar with safety procedures. Have a class discussion on emergency preparedness at the beginning of each school year and term.
Practice Evacuation Plans
- Regularly practice solid, effective evacuation plans to get emergency victims (pupils/students, staff) out of the building within minutes and offer a safe meeting place for all classes.
Know your Emergency Responders
- Ensure everyone in the school, students and staffs have knowledge of emergency responder’s phone numbers which are
Lagos: 112 and 767
FRSC: 122
Emergency is what it is because it happens unexpected but you can always stay prepared for it. Begin emergency preparedness now to prevent unpleasant situations that can be avoided. Stay safe and know that you are always welcome to support HEI in the mission of saving lives.
