ILOILO City – Schools across Western Visayas are being urged to tighten campus security and prepare students and personnel for shooting incidents and other emergencies through evacuation protocols, security assessments, drills and even a clear bag policy.
Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño called on school administrators to review existing security arrangements and ensure that students, teachers and other personnel know exactly what to do when danger erupts on campus.
Central to the police recommendation is the adoption of the “get out, lock out, call out” protocol, a three-step emergency response designed to help the school community react quickly to shooting incidents and other threats.
Under the “get out” procedure, students and school personnel should immediately leave the campus whenever there is a safe opportunity to escape.
“If there is an opportunity to escape from the school, they should get out. The important thing is to avoid danger and move away from the scene of the incident,” Tuaño said.
If evacuation is impossible, Tuaño said students and personnel should follow the “lock out” procedure by finding a secure room or enclosed area where they can stay away from the threat.
“If there is no opportunity to escape, that is the time to lock out. They need to find a safe place and secure themselves,” he said.
The third step, “call out,” requires those affected to contact the 911 emergency hotline and immediately seek police assistance.
Tuaño said the protocol should become familiar to everyone in schools rather than remain the responsibility solely of administrators and security personnel.
PRO-6 is also recommending that schools consider adopting a clear bag policy for students, employees and visitors.
Transparent bags would allow security personnel to inspect their contents more easily and help prevent potentially dangerous or prohibited items from being brought onto campuses.
Tuaño said schools should explore preventive measures that would strengthen the monitoring of people and items entering their premises.
School administrators were also encouraged to coordinate with police for security assessments, emergency drills and other preparedness activities.
Tuaño stressed that effective campus security requires the cooperation of school administrators, teachers, parents, students and law enforcement agencies.
Schools, he said, must be capable of responding immediately to emergencies while ensuring that everyone on campus understands the procedures to follow when a threat arises.
PRO-6 said the recommendations are part of its continuing efforts to strengthen safety and emergency preparedness in educational institutions throughout Western Visayas./PN
