The lockdown drill is familiar to many at UPrep. The tone of the PA system indicating the start, teachers pulling down blinds then locking doors, and finally, being told to keep quiet. However, the opening of the ULab has brought up new concerns and questions about the functionality of the current lockdown arrangement.
According to Director of Facilities Robert Thom, the safety policies for the ULab are the same as those for the main buildings.
“We have decided as a group that if we have an incident on this side of the street, it is also the same incident on the other side of the street,” Thom said. “So if we have a fire drill or a fire alarm or a lockdown situation, both buildings simultaneously will be in the same type of situation.”
But while fire drills are more intuitive just get out of the building lockdowns are more complicated. Not every area on campus is a lockdown space. Lockdown spaces have doors that can be locked and blinds to cover the windows. Thom explains that the burden falls to faculty to get the kids to safety.
“We’ve informed the faculty that works over there, it’s not just you and your classroom,” Thom said. “The common area, obviously not a lockdown space, but…it’s [their] responsibility to look out into that area and move any random students that are in that common space into one of the lockdown spaces.”
Upper school Spanish teacher Ciara McGrath is one teacher who moved into the ULab at the beginning of the semester and was briefed by Thom on safety. McGrath enjoys teaching in the new building but still feels some apprehension.
“It’s hard not to notice that we are surrounded by a lot of glass,” McGrath said. “That is one of the things that makes this place so bright and inviting, but it is a question for us to consider and to be concerned about. What might that look like if there was an active shooter on campus?”
Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations Susan Lansverk worked with the architects who designed the ULab. Together they discussed all things design, including the glass.
“We had conversations about it, especially the [ULab]Commons glass, and should we have more of a fortress,” Lansverk said. “But there’s no evidence that having no glass makes the school a safer place, and there are tons of benefits to having glass. So the key for safety is to only have people coming in the building that should be in the building.”
As a safety measure, all ULab entrances require an app to unlock the building. Both Thom and Lansverk agree that the main way to prevent a dangerous situation from occurring on campus is to make sure students know who they are letting into the building, especially if they don’t have a key card.
“I get very concerned when I see people holding the door at Founders for their fellow students,” Thom said. “I don’t know everybody. I would hope that you guys do know everybody. Because what typically happens if we’re really talking about a serious scenario with a shooter is that random kid who we’re holding the door for, I see him with a backpack, he’s got his laptop, he must be a student. But are we really really aware of who we’re allowing into this building?”
