Evacuation

It is a common problem schools face. Calling an evacuation list from your school management system is slow, not easy and requires an administrative person to go and retrieve the data.

The problem, in the case of a real evacuation everything needs to be in place and be in a position to clear the school as quickly as possible. The answer? Well, we know many schools adopt laminated A4 paper sheets with all class pupils listed. The front desk will then write on this sheet with a whiteboard pen if the pupil is not in and rub out previous markings. Upon the alarm going off these sheets are grabbed and taken outside. Over time these sheets become damaged and of course are reliant on the whiteboard pen not being rubbed off or the ruminants of a previous mark being completely removed.

Many schools do reply on getting information from registration via their MIS. This can be achieved from other systems and one we have looked to incorporate into our own system. However, it is of course reliant on registration being taken by the individual teachers which is why the front desk often prefer to keep their own record. If your system gets this information via Wonde there is also a time delay in updating the system depending in what part of the data upload cycle you are in.

Physical Evacuation Board

So, what is the best answer? We have designed 2 different methods. One method is sticking to what many prefer. A physical item with sliders which can be held in each classroom or front desk. Each evacuation board has each pupil listed and the slider simply states if in or out. This is not reliant upon having access to the network or internet as we must also consider that power may also be lost.

Digital Solution

The second method is digital. Admin have a very easy to see and use screen which has all the pupils listed in class order. At a touch of the name it changes whether they are in or out. Upon evacuation the names can then be displayed on any smart device including mobile phone which does not require power in the school or a Wi-Fi connection. Using the mobile network makes this method more reliable and a fall back to the school Wi-Fi.