CHILDREN’S SAFETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 160, 20 April 1942, Page 2

CHILDREN’S SAFETY.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. DISPERSAL SCHEME TRIED OUT. Careful planning went into the scheme for the dispersal of the school children of Ashburton in the event of an emergency and a full-scale trial held at 11 o’clock this morning proved that the plans need little adjustment. For some time past rehearsals of the scheme have been carried out and it appeared that everything was in good order, but a complete trial, with all the schools taking part and a number of wardens co-operating, was called for. Its success this morning should reassure parents: that the school authorities, working through a special committee of members of the school staffs, have the position well in hand. The dispersal was viewed by a “Guardian” reporter from the Borough School, and this instance was typical of all the schools. The alarm was sounded at 11 oclock and in less than 30 seconds every child was out of the building. There was no confusion, each child knowing what he or she had to do. Cyclists Take Friends. Those who rode bicycles to school assembled at the rear of the school building, having first taken charge of their machines and gone into lines already worked out for them. Each one of these had another child (perhaps a member of its own family or someone living nearby) to look after. In a few seconds the cyclists had their friends on the bars or carriers of their machines, ready to leave the grounds, and as soon as everyone was ready the word was givsn to start. Out on to Moore Street streamed the children, all making for home by the shortest route, which had been previously carefully worked out for each individual. In the meantime, those children who did not have bicycles had assembled in front of the school in small groups, each in the charge of a senior pupil. Each of these groups had been arranged so that the senior pupil could take them direct to their homes which are close to their own homes.

The Groups on Foot. The groups rapidly formed up and at a signal they were released, making for appointed exits from the grounds, and trotting along at a pace to suit the smallest child. Within a minute and a half there was no sign of life in the school or its grounds, and the i r outes of dispersal had been so selected that it seemed from the streets near the school that there must have been few children at school, though the numbers in attendance were normal. Members of the staff in the meantime had set off to shepherd the groups on their way, most of them using bicycles to keep in touch and to see that the children lost no time in reaching their homes. At several vital points a number of Wardens of the E.P.S. units had taken station to watch the progress of the children and to hurry along those who might he inclined to stray away from the scheme. It was noteworthy that very little of this had to be done, as the children took the trial seriously and made off as fast as they could go. At 11.10 o’clock there was not a child in sight for many streets outside the business area, and it seems that in the event of an emergency the school children of Ashburton can be counted on to be home within 10 minutes of being released from school. There are many country children who come in to the Ashburton schools, and provision was made that in an emergency they must go to some residence in the town for billeting till such time as they can be removed to their homes. In the case to-day, the country children all made for these billets in the same way as the town children made for their homes and everyone was accounted for.