BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
HAZLET — Superintendent of Schools Renae LaPrete said students’ preparedness for an unforeseen emergency should be second nature.
In light of situations like the Columbine school shooting tragedy in April 1999 and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, modes of effective response and evacuation have moved to the forefront of people’s minds. "But it doesn’t have to be about terrorism or student violence," LaPrete said. "It could be about a roof caving in or a bad plumbing catastrophe."
So, LaPrete orchestrated three mock evacuations since October to keep students and faculty in step with what to do should a crisis strike at any given moment.
The idea evolved last year when LaPrete started attending monthly township emergency management meetings.
The Office of Emergency Management is coordinated by Board of Education member Glenn Mason, who is also a Hazlet police detective. Mason and LaPrete talked and came up with what they thought was a great plan for safety and solace in times of widely publicized terrorism and school violence.
"It was also a great thing to do to put parents’ minds at ease and keep them abreast of a concrete plan of action," LaPrete said. "Should something happen, this way they’ll know where to go and what to do to find their children or know they are safe if they cannot get to them." should something happen
With five more mock evacuations planned for the Spring, three have been conducted with success, LaPrete said.
On Oct. 14, Raritan High School Students were evacuated to the all-purpose room and classrooms of Lillian Drive Elementary School. Then on Oct. 20, Lillian Drive students evacuated to the high school auditorium.
On Nov. 24, Hazlet Middle School students made their way to the gym of Holy Family School. Once Hazlet Middle School students returned, Holy Family students evacuated to Hazlet Middle School.
And it goes on. Students in the district will continue to trade places in lieu of landing in a safe spot in an emergency, LaPrete said. Come spring, she said, there will be five more similar drills.
"The objective of the evacuations is to get kids in the practice of moving to another location smoothly in the event of an unforeseen emergency," she added. "If they know where they’re going and what they’re doing, then things will work out well."
The evacuations were conducted in cooperation with Sister Nadine at Holy Family School on Route 36 in the township. LaPrete took a moment to praise the cooperative effort between schools. "Practicing this will give parents peace of mind knowing their children have alternatives to move to a safe haven. I think it also gives the kids a better sense of safety, too. They responded very well — very cooperatively. It was impressive."