Tornado Safety for Schools

Managing a school entails more than simply overseeing a building. You must also ensure that students are kept safe, teachers are prepared for a disaster and you have a plan in place for severe weather such as tornadoes.

All of these responsibilities, though, rely on access to reliable real time weather data. Real-time analytics can provide you with the hyperlocal tracking that will allow you to stay safe, even when the weather isn’t.

Make Collaborative Response Easier

Access to real-time weather observations from sensors that are refreshed every two seconds can make all the difference in facilitating a coordinated response. Accurate information enables you and your school’s staff to collaborate. When automated decisions are involved, everyone in on the same page. You never have to scramble to respond to an emergency when you have the advantage of hyper-local observations.

Install a Horn to Alert Campus of Tornado Status

When the status of a tornado changes quickly or you need a way to alert the whole campus to its arrival, your intercom system might not be sufficient. There may be students or teachers outside who are unable to receive the message. Installing a horn that indicates a tornado warning or tornado watch is an effective way to communicate across the entire campus when time is of the essence. The sound of a horn, too, is likely to catch the attention of everybody who hears it—thus minimizing the risk of unpreparedness.

Benefit From Peace of Mind

As an administrator, you are likely faced with pressure from parents and staff to promise the safety of students. In reality, though, this is a difficult promise to make without the knowledge provided by a trustworthy weather tracker. A team of dedicated weather scientists can provide you with the peace of mind that advanced knowledge offers. With us on your side, you can confidently provide reassurance.

Become Familiar With State Emergency Tornado Operations

Your state likely has established emergency procedures for schools to follow in the event of an emergency. These procedures are important because they indicate:

• Frequency of drills
• What kind of evacuation plan is necessary or
• What emergency supplies are mandatory to keep on school premises

It is important that you be familiar with these standards and maintain compliance at all times. Following the guidelines set forth by your state or school district can save students’ lives if your campus is hit by a tornado.

Go Above and Beyond State Minimum

Following the procedures prescribed by your state is a good start, but your commitment to preparedness should not stop there. If you want to make your school as safe as possible, you should go above and beyond. Do more than just the mandatory measures in your commitment to tornado preparation. Take the mandatory procedures as a starting point and strategize ways to implement other safety measures. This might mean increasing frequency of drills, making your emergency plan more robust or investing in additional resources for weather preparedness.

Continue Operating in the Meantime

Schools aren’t like businesses. You cannot simply send staff home and resume operations when the storm passes. The complexities of running a school demand that you prioritize students’ safety and their education. With the lead time that severe weather alerts and forecasts provide, you can continue educating and stay on guard if a tornado’s development continues. This prevents lost classroom hours and allows parents and staff time to prepare, too.

Tornadoes are a real danger to the safety and operations of schools. Predicting and responding to them is difficult without a trusted weather observer to refer to. Contact Earth Networks to learn how we can protect your school from tornadoes.