At AntaryamiGurukul, we take the safety of children, faculty, staff and visitors very seriously and work closely with police, fire and security experts to ensure that we have the appropriate measures in place. While we can never prevent or predict every emergency, we employ best practices to ensure the safety of our community.
Information we considered and resources we accessed when developing our safety and security plan included the following:
Safety and Crisis Plan
Drills are timed and procedures are scrutinized. Because our facility has at least two exits on each floor, we are consistently able to evacuate the building in approximately three minutes.
Security and Emergency Preparedness Audit
We work with the local villagers and Angul police to conduct an audit of our security and emergency preparedness. We have invited the police department to tour the facility, review our crisis management plan and interview our security team. Following recommendations that have all been implemented:
web cams on all our entrances
visitor check-in and badges
visitor exit from the lobby only
evacuation plan for all emergency situations
Secured and Monitored Entrances
All external doors are kept locked 24 hours a day and require a code to be opened. The doors are monitored by eight live video cameras enabling continual monitoring. Visitors may only enter and exit the building through the front lobby where they receive a visitor badge.
Emergency and Crisis Plans
We have a detailed emergency and crisis plan in place that specifies intervention for various scenarios, including evacuation and shelter in place. The plan is reviewed and updated frequently. Communication tools are established that allow us to immediately notify parents about emergencies and the steps being taken. We have supplies stored in the building for a shelter in place situation and regularly conduct evacuation drills.
Employee Education and Training
Emergency evacuation drills are conducted regularly involving the entire school. Faculty and staff are trained each year in safety precautions, emergency procedures and health and safety, including CPR, First Aid and AED. In addition, all of our employees are subjected to three different background checks upon hiring and must receive annual health and fitness exams.
Ease of Classroom Observation
Initial renovation of our building added windows and glass walls to provide easy visual monitoring of our classroom spaces. The glass walls allow administrators and supervisors to easily observe teachers interacting with children, step in when teachers need help and monitor children’s classroom interactions. Visitors are never left alone with children.
The Role of Community Vigilance in School Safety and Security
We build our security plan around community vigilance, and warns against relying on technology or hired safety officers which can provide a false sense of security. It takes the awareness of teachers, parents and administrators working together to truly ensure a safe and secure environment at school. The employee to student ratio at our Gurukul and our tight-knit community contribute to a safe, secure and nurturing environment for young children.
