Takatsuki City
Takatsuki City teachers conduct evacuation drills to improve their ability to respond in times of crisis
Identifying issues by leveraging the efforts of Safety Promotion School certified schools
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In the wake of the Northern Osaka Prefecture Earthquake, the Takatsuki City Board of Education has been working to strengthen school safety efforts, including obtaining Safety Promotion School (SPS)
certification. On Tuesday, June 11, 2020, six years ago since the earthquake occurred on June 18, 2018, approximately 120 faculty and staff members participated in an evacuation drill in preparation for an earthquake. The participants confirmed their level of familiarity with the crisis management manual and exchanged opinions regarding training.
[Image: https://prtimes.jp/i/118013/353/resize/d118013-353-f4a6202cc5fca694cea3-0.jpg&s3=118013-353-58016862e456ebd2fe6607e7bf29b3b1-500×349.jpg] This drill marks the 6th anniversary of the Northern Osaka Prefecture Earthquake that occurred on June 18, 2018, and is based on a set of guidelines for the movement of teachers and staff to ensure the safety of students in the event of a large-scale earthquake. It was designed to improve the ability of faculty and staff to respond in the event of a crisis by following the established crisis management manual. The training is a “blind training” method in which the scenario is not known in advance, and the training participants are divided into teacher and child roles, based on the instructions given by the school safety promotion officer who works at an SPS certified school. , and practice responses in the event of an earthquake. Approximately 120 teachers and staff from 45 schools, including municipal elementary schools, participated and confirmed the issues they noticed by actually doing the activities.
In the drill, a large-scale earthquake (main shock with a seismic intensity of 6 or higher, and aftershocks with a seismic intensity of 5 or higher) occurred during a school lunch break, and children who were spending their recess in classrooms, restrooms, and the playground were “scared by the shaking.” The training participants, who played the role of teachers, prepared a crisis management manual for situations such as “I can’t move,” “I panic and can’t get out of the toilet cubicle,” and “I can’t walk on my own because my leg was injured in the earthquake.” Implement responses based on the following. We carried out drills to transport injured children by tanker to the playground, which serves as an evacuation site, and searched the school grounds by sharing the responsibility of checking for children who had failed to escape. Afterwards, the participants divided into groups to reflect on the training and exchange opinions on improvements to the manual. Participants said, “In order to keep children safe, it is important to ensure smooth coordination between teachers in different grades in the event of an emergency,” and “Even if you are outside when an earthquake occurs, you may feel anxious and return to the school building.” There were opinions such as, “We need to assign staff members to talk to children outdoors, as such cases are expected to occur.”
【Reference information】
■ History of efforts to strengthen school safety at the Takatsuki City Board of Education
In order to rebuild the system for safety management, Takatsuki City revised the “School Safety Measures (Guidelines)” in 2019, with the aim of ensuring that all children and students acquire safety-related qualities and abilities. To achieve this goal, we have established annual plans and implemented activities covering the three areas of school safety: life safety, traffic safety, and disaster safety. We have been working to obtain the “Safety Promotion School (SPS)” certification, which conducts evaluation, response to issues, and improvements. Jusei Elementary School received SPS certification in March 2021, Daisan Junior High School, Shiba Elementary School, and Maruhashi Elementary School in February 2021, and all elementary and junior high schools in Daisan Junior High School District have become SPS certified schools. I did. Currently, efforts are being made to disseminate to other schools the results of the Third Junior High School District’s efforts to obtain SPS certification, and to further improve and promote the quality of school safety throughout the city. This is where I am.
■What is a school safety promotion officer?
In order to promote organizational efforts related to school safety such as safety education, safety management, and organizational activities, the city has positioned teachers and staff who play the core role in school safety at each school as “school safety promotion managers.”
■About blind training
Blind training is a training in which the scenario is not
communicated to the participating staff (including the implementing school). This is an opportunity for students to examine whether they can flexibly respond to situations that occur in accordance with their own school’s crisis management manual, as well as to see through the training how to improve the content of their own school’s crisis management manual. The city is promoting these practical evacuation drills.
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