In the wake of the storms that swept across the South earlier this month, we may be beginning to question the school’s tornado drill policies. In Enterprise, Alabama, eight students were killed by a tornado that ripped through the school, shattering windows and scattering debris over the surrounding areas. The students were scheduled for early release, but school administrators decided against early dismissal, fearing the students might not be prepared for the storm if they were home alone. 

“You have to remember that if we had let the school out early a lot of these kids would have gone home. They wouldn’t have had any parents there. They would have been alone. A lot of these children would have gone into facilities that probably wouldn’t be structurally sound as here,” said Alabama Governor Bob Riley in an NPR report.

Faculty member Eda Beachm feels that Chamblee’s tornado drill policies are effective in the event of a tornado.

“I think the drills are effective, yes. We have determined where the safest places in the building are the hallways away from glass and on the lower floors. The school is built like Fort Knox,” said Beachm.

A common occurrence during the drills is confusion about the standard position to be assumed. The facility handbook states that students are to sit, “on the floor with their backs to the wall, knees pulled up, heads bent towards knees, and hands protecting their heads.”

Although there is confusion during the drills, the school almost always meets its personal goal time of three to five minutes to have all students on lower floors and away from windows.

“The most important thing about the drills is to have all the students in a safe area in time,” commented Beachm. 

While the student body is overall very cooperative during the drills, some fail to see their effectiveness. 

“I’m sure that it doesn’t matter if you’re in the classroom or out in the hall; you’re going to get blown away either way,” said Aziz Munir.