On Tuesday, February 12, we will test our “Saf-T-Net AlertNow” message transmission system. Alert Now is an emergency notification system that allows us to send a phone and/or email message to all of our parents, faculty, and trustees simultaneously. It would only be activated in a highly unusual situation such as if we had a true lockdown, the need to evacuate our students to an alternate location, etc. When activated by the school, the system sends a message to each contact in the database that we have compiled from the emergency information you have sent us. The system first tries to send a message to a primary phone number. If it is unsuccessful in leaving a message, it then tries to establish contact with up to four back up phone numbers, and then up to two email addresses if it doesn't connect with a phone. It will only make one contact per family or individual.
I will activate the test sometime before noon on Tuesday, February 12. You should receive a message on your home, work, or mobile phone, or your primary email address. The message will simply say something like, “This is the test message from The Country School.” Phones with Caller ID are supposed to display 411. If you do not receive any message via at least one of these means by 2:00 p.m. that day, please send us an email at alertnow@countryschool.org or call 410.822.1935 extension 199 and let us know. We will then contact you to make certain we have your correct contact information. It is likely we will do a repeat trial in the near future, but I will contact you via email if that becomes the case.
AlertNow is just one of the tools we use to try to be prepared in case an unusual or emergency situation presents itself. We have an extensive emergency plan that outlines numerous potential situations and how we would respond to each. Our faculty and staff have been briefed on how we would handle various occurrences, they have copies of the entire emergency plan and summaries with relevant action points, and we have talked through various scenarios. We have practiced certain emergency drills with the children, and we have an average of one fire drill per month. All faculty and staff have also had first aid, CPR and AED (automatic external defibrillator) instruction. The Easton Police Department has made a commitment to regularly walk through the school and to be a presence on campus during off hours. Our exterior doors are secure, we have procedures on what to do if a staff member notices an intruder, and every classroom has direct 911, phone, and intercom access. We ask the children not to open exterior doors for any adult, no matter how friendly looking. Overall, we take the business of safety and emergency preparedness seriously. We know how precious each child is, and so we do our best in a behind-the-scenes, non-threatening, non-scary, and child-sensitive way to be as prudently prepared for as many possibilities as is feasible.