St. Paul Academy and Summit School announced revised fire, lock-down, and general security procedures during a grade 6-12 assembly held on Sept. 16.

After careful review this past summer, faculty administrators determined that the previous fire emergency safety locations (generally the sidewalks surrounding buildings) were closer to the school than regulation requires. To comply with regulations, students and faculty must now evacuate to the athletic fields, and meet with their advisories at a designated location.

This change creates better accountability as faculty can more easily take attendance and determine if anyone is missing. SPA’s lock-down procedures have also been revised. Many doors on campus will remain locked during school hours, and to ensure that personnel are more closely monitored faculty and staff will be required to wear identification badges during the day.

“[Having the assembly] was a good way to realize where we need work. It helped to get rid of any confusion and it gives us a plan for these types of emergencies,” Upper School history teacher Nan Dreher said.

Students, agreed that safety should be the first priority but questioned whether these revisions actually improve overall safety. “The new system is certainly less efficient but more effective which is what matters,” sophomore Milo Wittenberg said.