By Brandi Miller – For the FCT

No one likes to think about an emergency taking place at school. Being prepared for an emergency, however, can make a big difference when seconds count.

Red Bay High School has always been diligent in drills and making sure everyone knows what to do in emergency situations, but recently grades Pre-K through sixth went a step further and prepared backpacks that contain emergency materials that would be necessary for any situation.

The navy backpacks are being called the Go Bags, and they were distributed to the elementary teachers the first week of May. The idea behind the backpacks is that they would be easy to grab for teachers as they are heading out the door or even if they become contained to their classrooms for long periods of time.

Each backpack contains a first-aid kit, duct tape, safety vest, safety glasses and latex-free gloves.

The bags “are designated to provide each class in Pre-K through sixth with a quick and efficient way to exit the building in the event of an emergency with all the necessary items that may be needed for a class,” said RBHS elementary principal Dr. Johnny Cleveland.

While each backpack contains the essential emergency materials, teachers were given the opportunity to pack whatever other materials they felt would be needed in an emergency situation, at their discretion. The needs of a Pre-K student would be different than the needs of a sixth grade student, as far as keeping a student calm and/or entertained, if need be, for long periods of time. The idea was that the materials in the bag should include items necessary for a teacher to be in a “holding” position in his/her classroom for one to two hours.

The elementary teachers held a competition to see who best prepared their Go Bag with the extra materials. Dr. Stephen and Michelle Ray judged the backpacks. Jessica Williams, Pre-K teacher, was the winner of the Pre-K through second grade division, and sixth grade teacher Shanna Ozbirn was the winner of the third through sixth grade division.

Williams included Play-Doh, large note cards, crayons, rubber bands, large paper clips, Sharpies, sticky notes, Junie B. Jones books, lollipops, glow sticks, face masks, list of students with emergency contact information and other age appropriate materials. Ozbirn included sunscreen, bug spray, fly swatters, bubble gum, hard candy, paddle balls, napkins, hand sanitizer, small dry erase board and markers, sticky notes, states floor puzzle, presidents and states flash cards, short entertaining stories, list of students with emergency contact information and other age appropriate items.

Williams and Ozbirn each won a $25 gift card to Dollar General for winning.

The backpacks were funded by the Red Bay Education Foundation.