Improving safety in a school for over 500 children and adults

Wailing of sirens coming from the firefighters' trucks and ambulances cars echoed through Kakanj, a small town in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their final destination was the local high school. On arrival, emergency response personnel met convoys of students and school staff exiting the school building. The peace on the faces of children and teachers unusual for this situation is the outcome of a carefully prepared Emergency Evacuation Exercise. The exercise is part of broader activities to improve safety in this school,  attended by 433 students and employs 58 adults.

Bearing in mind that many people, primarily children, stay in school facilities during the day, schools carry high risks from the consequences of natural and other disasters.

However, it is not only the number of people who put this Kakanj school at the top of the list for intervention through the "Safe School Environment" project.

The school was built in 1968, consists of a ground floor and one floor, and has only one entrance/exit. Since its construction, the building has not been renovated, and the materials used in the construction of the school in the late 1970s are now considered harmful to people. The school also never had a plan for action in crisis or disaster.

This Kakanj school is one of many in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Brčko District (BD) facing the risks of natural disasters and catastrophes. During 2017 and 2018, World Vision BiH conducted a survey of school safety and preparedness for disasters caused by natural and other disasters in FBiH and BD. 724 schools participated in the research. The research concludes that only 10% of schools can be considered safe.

"There is no absolute safety, but we can reduce the risks faced by all those who stay in schools. Safe schools are constructed to code,  their protection and rescue plans are updated, employees and students are educated on how to act in case of an accident, and they relate to local rescue services. In addition, school evacuation exercises are regularly conducted in these schools", said Sveto Đurđević, manager of the" Safe School Environment“ project.

Having in mind all the components of safe schools, Kakanj's Mixed Secondary School demanded urgent intervention, which was initiated within the project "Safe school environment". The project is implemented within the educational component of the joint program of the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations "Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina".  Improving the safety of this Kakanj school contributes to disaster risk reduction for nearly 500 people who stay in the school building every day.

The basis for establishing safety in schools is Disaster Risk Reduction Plan (DRR). This plan list and analyzes risks, proposes risk reduction actions, guidelines for dealing with accidents, and mitigation of the consequences of the accident. Each school in BiH is legally obligated to create such a plan.

The school plan was prepared jointly by the school principal and teachers, representatives of the parents of the children attending the school, municipal services, the local red cross, and one NGO. Representatives of local services, including rescue teams, are one of the most important links in the preparation of the school plan for disaster risk reduction - firefighters,  police officers, civil protection, health, and welfare centers representatives are the first to react in case of accidents and must be aware of the risks in their local environment.

"Everything that is being done through this project is an improvement for the school and the entire local community. This teamwork strengthens the school's connection with emergency rescue services, which is crucial in a crisis. All members of the school DRR team advocate in the local community and beyond, for stronger involvement of the relevant ministries and other institutions in strengthening the resilience of schools to natural and other disasters," says Zerina Sehagic, member of the Parents' Council school "Kemal Kapetanović Kakanj".

The risks and actions taken to reduce the risks are presented to teachers and school staff, as well as school students. In addition, staff and students learned how to behave in the event of an accident or disaster.

The evacuation exercise served as a practical test of the students' and schools staff's behavior in case of an accident and the responsiveness of the local rescue services.

In addition to the educational and demonstration segment, the project "Safe School Environment" finances interventions defined by the School Plan. According to the plan, the school building will get another exit, and the asbestos plates that are in direct contact with the external environment will be covered with a thermal facade. The school will also receive a smoke and fire alert system. At the same time, the system will sound the alarm to the school staff and pupils, and the local fire brigade.

Working on the cost estimate for the interventions defined by the plan, it quickly became evident that the funds provided by the project plan were not sufficient for the planned reconstruction. World Vision BiH has involved a broader team in fundraising and advocacy to support interventions at the local level. In this context, World Vision managed to provide additional funds donated by local socially responsible companies, and the necessary interventions will be carried out in full.

Sanja Kabil, The Education Specialist from UNICEF BiH underlines how UNICEF supports governments and schools worldwide, to improve policies and practices of disaster risk reduction. The schools must be safe places for all children, while the preparedness saves lives.

Activities in the school Kemal Kapetanović Kakanj, as well as in other schools involved in the project "Safe School Environment", are executed according to the World Vision's "Safe Schools" project model., as well as global model of “Comprehensive framework for school safety, and principles and guidelines for COVID’19 prevention in schools. So far, 39 primary and secondary schools in BiH implemented interventions according to this model.

The project is part of a joint program of the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations (UN) "Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina", while jointly implemented by UNESCO, UNFPA, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina, and World Vision BiH.