RMES Conducts Emergency Drill

In collaboration with Andrews University, Pioneer Memorial Church and local emergency partners

The reunification drill began at Ruth Murdoch Elementary School and concluded at Pioneer Memorial Church. (Photo by Jeff Boyd)

Ruth Murdoch Elementary School (RMES) and Andrews University Campus Safety worked with local emergency partners and Pioneer Memorial Church (PMC) to conduct a reunification drill on April 17, strengthening preparedness for emergency situations that require coordinated response beyond the school’s premises.

Reunification drills are designed to help schools practice how students would be safely accounted for and returned to their families in the event of a crisis, allowing staff, parents and community partners to understand their roles and respond with clarity under pressure. While schools hope never to use such a plan, practicing helps reduce uncertainty, build confidence and clarify each person’s responsibilities before a real emergency might occur.

“If for some reason students needed to be removed from the school, like if there was some sort of emergency and the school was no longer a safe zone, we would want to move them to a secondary location,” says Marsha J. Beal, captain, assistant director for compliance and preparedness. “The parents would have to come and pick them up at the secondary location.”

“This is the first time in Berrien County that a reunification drill has ever happened,” Beal shares. “The eyes of the county were upon us.” Additionally, representatives from New Buffalo Area Schools, local law enforcement, fire department personnel, emergency services and Berrien Springs Public Schools Transportation observed or participated in the drill.

The drill began at RMES and concluded at PMC, where parents checked in, showed identification and waited while volunteers retrieved their children. Evelyn Savory, principal of RMES, says that the drill grew out of ongoing conversations about how to strengthen student safety and prepare for possible emergencies, including active threats or hazards in the building.

“This was a brand-new exercise for everybody,” Savory explains. “It was a learning experience for all of us. I’m glad that we did it.”

Savory also shares that parents were supportive and students responded well throughout the process. Although leaders wondered whether some families might keep their children home from the drill, attendance remained strong.

“The cooperation that we got from parents was bar none,” Savory says. “They were willing to do whatever we asked. Their contribution just by supporting the program made it possible and successful.”

Jess Swackhamer, RMES sixth grade teacher and vice principal for safety and discipline, helped organize the drill, communicate with teachers and parents, and coordinate volunteers at PMC. He says the drill helped families see that safety planning is not theoretical but rather active and intentional.

“I think what I gathered was that there was an exponential growth in confidence,” Swackhamer reflects. “Parents could see that there has been thought put into this. There are people thinking about my kids’ safety.”

Beal and Swackhamer used resources from The “I Love U Guys” Foundation, an organization that provides school safety protocols and reunification planning tools. Beal says that preparation helped the team avoid major surprises during the drill.

“We did not have one of those situations where we said, ‘Oh man, we did not think of that,’” Beal notes. “There were some minor things, but never one major thing. This was because we followed the ‘I Love U Guys’ plan.”

The drill also highlighted the importance of collaboration between RMES, Andrews University, PMC and local emergency agencies. Beal shares that these relationships are essential because schools cannot prepare in isolation, noting, “We need to change our culture to always be a culture of safety.”

For Savory, the drill affirmed RMES’ commitment to caring for students before, during and after moments of uncertainty. “Student safety is a priority at Ruth Murdoch,” she says. “We will do whatever it takes to ensure every boy and every girl is attended to carefully and that they have nothing to worry about if an emergency happens. We will keep our students safe.”