Discuss this Article

• Student on April 22, 2002
  Aren't we supposed to ignore all announcements????
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• Kevin Chang on April 22, 2002
  In a real Code Red, yes, all announcements would be ignored (see article).
  
  However, the drill today was announced as such, so it was different.
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• student on April 22, 2002
  But how do we know it was a drill? Shouldn't we ignore the message that said to leave the code red?
  
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• Kevin Chang on April 22, 2002
  Student, the first announcement specifically said that today's Code Red was a drill and not a real emergency.
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• student on April 22, 2002
  But how do we know that first statement was real? Also, arn't they trying to make the drill realistic?
  
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• Kevin Chang on April 22, 2002
  There wouldn't have BEEN any Code Red without the first announcment. Sometimes you have to think a little and use your judgement.
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• Harry on April 22, 2002
  Yes we are supposed to ignore all bells and annoucments but, it was obiviously a drill. Also, I am wondering how many things sliped under the door Police ID, who knows how to verify that it really is a police ID looks like, I mean like where the picture is ect. Finally personally in a real situation I would personally really want to leave the building preffeably through a window, i.e. Tie power corders together and climb out.
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• student two on April 22, 2002
  um... please clearly student makes a point, because anyone cane fake a code red and no one would do it right.
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• KliQ on April 22, 2002
  easy, easy guys. I think we did the code red just fine. And who can complain about an extra 20 minutes of nap time?
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• Joe Howley on April 22, 2002
  Student raises a valid point. Having covered the development of the Codes Red and Blue last year, I know the OSET felt strongly about making sure the proper procedure was followed. For instance, it was my understanding that Code Blue is to be established in preparation for escalating to Code Red. Additionally, it is critical that all announcements be ignored. I think that today's drill sacrificed too much in the name of convenience and a "successful drill." When next we have a more realistic drill, or even a "real situation," we'll see how effective these preparations are.
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• Kevin L. on April 22, 2002
  Student raises a point that I've wondored about for quite some time. If the purpose of a drill is to prepare students for the real thing, why should we be told that its a drill so we can not pay attention and say 'oh its just a drill' and leave it alone? If we're practicing for the real thing, it should be in all ways identical to the real thing, or as close as we can get it. On the other hand, I learned from the real code blue and evacuation on 3-22 that the drills of code blue DID get the message out as to what we were supposed to do because as far as I could tell everything went according to plan. But, that was just with my class, other classes with less informative teachers and less attentive students might have to learn from a pseudo-real drill if they are to do it correctly if it happens for real.
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• joe howley on April 22, 2002
  I talked to Business Manager Anne Alban this morning about that, Kevin, and it sounded like the idea was to complete a successful drill today. Personally, I don't agree with this - as you say, it's not that effective. But that's why they did it - to make the drill proceed easily.
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• Harry on April 23, 2002
  It is very very important to have the code red drill be distuinshed form the real thing. In a real situation it is life and death, you don't want to simply wait and hope that some how the lunitc dosen't get you. I would like to take some proatctive steps. Mabey baracade the door, or if somebody comes in throw some thing like a chair at them, or if you in the R&E room a cirucular saw. Then it might be nessacary to damage equpment in the room to better protect your self. Or do some thing drastit like jump out a window. Obviouly you don't want to do any of this in a drill situation. So if you make it sound like a real situatiation then people will freak out and do things that could injure or kill them selves or others. Or they will become complacant and do nothing but what they are "supposed" to do, and in a real situation still think it is a drill and act in the same way.
  Also they say code red is for what, "A situation that poses an eminet threat to students and staff", could you be a little more honest and just say it means their is a luntic with a gun it the building and is going around killing people. For what other situation will code red be used? Finally thier is one other big flaw in the plan, how do we handle a situation durring lunch. Hypothetically if you had a guy with a gun enter the SAC and start killing people mass casos would ensure, and the PA going "Code Red, Code Red" wouldn't help.
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• Senior Freshman on April 24, 2002
  What would be done to tell the real situations from the drill situations if an actual code red siuation occured durring a code red drill? If any class were to be taken into the gym as "dead", how would they know to ge inside classrooms, and how would the, when all the doors are locked?
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