December’s shooting at Aztec High School and several local threats have contributed to recent changes in Santa Fe Public Schools’ safety protocols.

Schools throughout the country are preparing students and faculty to respond to threats in numerous ways, ranging from fire drills to shelter-in-place to practice lockdowns. These drills serve to educate everyone involved on standard procedures and how to properly respond during emergencies.

The question is, Do students in Demon Country feel like they would be safe and informed in the event of an emergency?

“I don’t think so,” says sophomore Zoe Dukeminier. “Emergencies are really unpredictable, and I feel like we don’t go over all of the possibilities of an incident. We do a lot of fire drills, and those aren’t taken very seriously.”

Assistant Principal Mr. Granado, however, emphasizes the importance of every student and staff member taking each drill seriously. “I’m speaking on behalf of … administrators … and our security team,” he said. “We take this very seriously. When we practice in real time, we can make our mistakes. But how you can help, kids, is by following instructions.”

Gabe Romero, the district’s director of school security, also stressed that students must follow the instructions of teachers and administrators. “There are over 1,000 students at SFHS,” he said. “We have to have people in charge or else it would be chaos.” He also encourages students “to be patient because it does take time [to make a plan.]”

Mr. Granado said it is important to have enough practice drills, specifically because of the number of students here at SFHS, which exceeds 1,400. He claims that having a plan in the event of an emergency and knowing basic procedures helps make emergencies less chaotic for students and people in authority.

According to the SFPS website regarding Emergency Management, “All New Mexico schools are required by the NM State Legislature (NMAC 6.29.1.N) to perform certain drills every year. Under NMAC, SFPS is required to do 9 fire drills, 2 Shelter-in-Place, 1 Lockdown, and 1 Off-Site Evacuation.”

Mr. Romero said that a number of people work on making the best plans and procedures for the school, including himself. He explained that he relies on state and local responder procedures, using the geography and number of students as leading factors. “We get best practices from FEMA and state homeland emergencies,” he said. “Also, principals can have their own safety plan for their individual schools.”

(FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, works to support citizens and first responders, creating procedures that help prepare all concerned in the event of an emergency.)

On Jan. 26, SFPS sent out a robocall regarding threats made at school: “All threats will be taken seriously, and they will result in student discipline according to our Student Code of Conduct,” the message said. “Furthermore, the students’ actions may lead to an investigation by local law enforcement, and even arrest.”

Recently, Santa Fe High has also tightened security, as Mr. Marano and Mr. Granado are now enforcing ID checks. These are two examples of how SFPS is striving to maintain a healthier and safer learning environment for all.

After the 1999 Columbine shooting, safety preparedness and protocols in public schools were significantly increased. According to CNN, “Schools across the United States instituted new security measures such as see-through backpacks, metal detectors, school uniforms, and security guards. Some schools implemented school door numbering to improve public safety response. Several schools throughout the country resorted to requiring students to wear computer-generated IDs.”

As school shootings become more common, schools continue to revamp their procedures.

In an SFHS in-service, staff were shown the video “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event,” which shows a multiple-step process of responding to a shooter.

Math teacher Mr. Tafoya said, “Our first day back from winter break we had an active-shooter training. It was very beneficial.” He had also said watching the video was a frightening and eye-opening experience. “That video and training served to make us aware that something like that could happen,” he said.

Junior Abbie Dundas, however, said she would not feel safe or prepared in the event of an emergency. “A lot of [what the school] wants us to do seems very counterintuitive or contradictory,” she said. “In lockdowns, we’re supposed to line up against the wall, which seems like it’s inviting someone to kill us. But lockdown instructions seem to always be changing.

Mr. Granado feels otherwise. “I know, one hundred percent, that we would be safe,” he said. “We have what we call a ‘critical mass.’ Ninety-plus percent of … all of our teachers and students and everyone on campus is on board with doing the right thing and following directions, taking it seriously. In the event of an emergency, we can make it happen.”

Again Mr. Granado stressed that in emergencies and even in practice drills, students are to follow the instructions of people in authority, whether they agree with them or not.

Another thing to consider is, Would students feel safe with their teachers if they were in danger?

“It depends on who I’m with,” said Zoe. “There are some teachers I have who are irresponsible and more laid back. I don’t feel comfortable with those types of teachers who can’t show leadership. … However, some teachers I have I consider very responsible and efficient.”

Abbie had similar feelings, agreeing that teachers who have a set plan for their students would make them feel safer in an emergency. She also said she would like a school wide established set of rules “that makes sense and that isn’t varied.”

Zoe proposed having some sort of formal training that both teachers and students could take part in, covering as many different scenarios and incidents as possible, to help students feel safer and more prepared. She said that while the idea may sound, “tedious,” especially for such a large school, “the lives of the people are far more important” than losing a few class periods of instruction.

However, though students aren’t trained, teachers are. According to the SFPS website, each school campus has “specially trained staff members who have been through about nine hours of intense emergency response training both online and in the classroom. This training allows staff members to practice and prepare for a variety of possibilities that could threaten their schools’ safety.”

Mr. Tafoya said, “In my class, I think my students would feel like I’m going to do everything I can to keep them safe. I hope my students don’t think that I’m laid back or that I wouldn’t do anything. … As a teacher, you have an instinct to protect your students, as well as yourself.”