The tornado in Moore, Oklahoma that destroyed two elementary schools, causing many injuries and the deaths of 7 children, brought the issue of safe rooms in schools to the forefront of the discussions on school security. Corbin & Merz Architects strongly believe in planning ahead for this type of natural disaster that is all too common in our state, especially in the springtime afternoons when school is still in session or after-school sports and activities are scheduled. We have recommended the inclusion of safe areas for every school we have built and most, though not all, school officials have agreed that this is a money well spent and less expensive to include in initial planning than trying to do later. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Our new school under construction in Mustang, Oklahoma, Canyon Ridge Elementary on Sara Road, has 5 hardened rooms, one in each of the 4 pods, and a fully hardened music room in the center of the school. We watched the weather reports anxiously as the recent storms whirled down I-40 past El Reno toward the western suburbs of Oklahoma City, worrying about our relatives and friends--and our school. Fortunately, none were hit, and we were glad we had done due diligence in the planning for safe rooms in Canyon Ridge. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Another elementary school we have planned for North Enid, Oklahoma has two long hardened corridors that span the length of the school on two sides for quick access if necessary. While still facing a bond issue, patrons will surely welcome the inclusion of safe areas for the most precious assets any family has--their children. It's better to be safe than sorry.
The classroom addition at Enid High School has a hardened corridor. So does Pleasantvale Elementary School in the the Pioneer School District located just east of Enid. We designed the safe areas in these schools because we know this one thing for a fact--It's better to be safe than sorry.
Oklahoma Bible Academy has two safe areas. The original building, the Academic Center, has a hardened corridor, and when we added the the Advanced Learning Center we designed the connecting corridor between the two areas with hardened construction as well. The school people at OBA specifically requested these areas be included in the planning because they know that it's better to be safe than sorry.
This architecture firm, Corbin & Merz Architects, has always recommended areas such as safe rooms or hardened corridors in schools as an important part of planning simply because believe that when it comes to tornadoes, it's better to be safe than sorry!
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