Newswise — The Rutgers School of Public Health’s New Jersey Safe Schools Program utilized a statewide platform to conduct a survey on school emergency preparedness and built environment attributes by evaluating teacher concerns and perceptions in the fall of 2019.

U.S. schools have existing emergency preparedness practices, but these sometimes do not work as planned because of a lack of structure or poorly managed implementation. In the fall of 2019, the New Jersey Safe Schools Program conducted a survey to assess perceptions of educational professionals at New Jersey public high schools on specific emergency preparedness initiatives and safety practices related to gun violence and other physical security threats such as fire and lockdown drills. 

Based on 151 survey participant responses, 86% of respondents feel safe in their school and believe that fire drills are necessary. Nearly 90% of respondents feel safe and believe that lockdown drills are necessary. 

The study results suggest that current school security measures - like periodic fire and lockdown drills that are practiced statewide in New Jersey - are valued as important by high school educators. However, specific gun safety policies and additional measures remain warranted.

When asked to rank the provided hazards of greatest concern, about 70% of survey participants indicated varying levels of concern about a school shooting. When asked about effective measures to improve school safety around guns, 79% of respondents ranked improving student access to mental health care services at schools.

The results align with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s advisory issued in December 2021 highlighting the urgent need to support the mental health of children and youth in educational, community, and childcare settings. New Jersey school districts should continue to prioritize school emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans while keeping up with evolving health concerns and technology.

“Survey Reveals Educator Views on Emergency Preparedness, Fire and Lockdown drills” and “Survey Reveals Educator Priorities to Address Gun Violence” were recently published as two reports in New Jersey Education Association Review

The New Jersey Safe Schools Program is a multi-faceted project supported by the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Career Readiness, and the U.S. Department of Education, developed to assist schools in reducing risk to occupational safety and health hazards in secondary school and work microenvironments in which New Jersey adolescents spend time. The New Jersey Safe Schools Program aims to expand knowledge and awareness of workplace safety and health issues by providing relevant resources and trainings to and conducting evaluation research and environmental health and safety field studies at secondary schools in New Jersey.

Journal Link: New Jersey Education Association Review