Registers for Fire/Evacuation

[Rydra]

We're looking at moving to fully using SIMS to do the registers in class, (rather than the current system of paper register that goes down to office, and an admin staff member inputs it all into sims!)

But an interesting query was brought up as to how do we do a register/roll call in the event of a fire or other emergencies? The current system is that the paper registers + the signout sheet are brought out and ticked off accordingly, but there is no paper register automatically from a electronic sims system....

And ideally, you don't want the admin staff firing up SIMS, dialing into a report, then waiting for the printout of who's in today.

I suggested that there might be a report you can fire off with all absent pupils, and the class teacher simply has a static register, and the missing from each class are just marked against who isn't in.

So my question is.....

How do you all do this?

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

[glennda]

At my last place they printed a copy of each register at about 9:15 after tutor time. We then held these in a central folder in the Admin office with todays sheets. Not 100% sure how we do atm to be honest! Probably similar though

[Pyroman]

I'm having a similar problem with checking if staff are in, apparently there's a system where everything automatically downloads to a tablet and you can read off the information from there, offline.

[liamvaughan]

We're looking at moving to fully using SIMS to do the registers in class, (rather than the current system of paper register that goes down to office, and an admin staff member inputs it all into sims!)

But an interesting query was brought up as to how do we do a register/roll call in the event of a fire or other emergencies? The current system is that the paper registers + the signout sheet are brought out and ticked off accordingly, but there is no paper register automatically from a electronic sims system....

And ideally, you don't want the admin staff firing up SIMS, dialing into a report, then waiting for the printout of who's in today.

I suggested that there might be a report you can fire off with all absent pupils, and the class teacher simply has a static register, and the missing from each class are just marked against who isn't in.

So my question is.....

How do you all do this?

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

Hi There,

In our place we do two reports a day, one after the AM register closes and another when the PM register is closed these are then stored in the main office and taken out when there is a fire drill she also takes the student signing out book just so we know what kids have gone home

[michael2k6]

Bear in mind that these methods aren't always practical. And knowing which students were where at rollcall doesn't mean they're still here now, so you have to cross chck that against sign in / out sheets, etc. Also,if you've a large site, it might be that different groups meet in different places, which could mean depending which lesson they're in, they have to walk past a burning building to get to a fire assembly point.

What we did was to have each building meet in a particular place (some buildings shard large areas). The students met in the teaching groups they were in at the time. The teachers did a head count as students left the room and another head count as they met in the designated place. Any students that were out at the toilet, for example, were added to the head count and expected at the assembly point.

If the students were on break or lunch, they returned to the class they were last in. Although in this case a head count wasn't completed, the students and staff between them would instantly know if someone was missing from the group. Split lunches were never an issue because the staff member would always be on lunch at the same time as the students they'd just been teaching.

The benefits to that system are you can put different buildings in different meeting places close to the building and you get figures of people that were in the building and not in the meeting place - which is what you're after. It means you get your figures a lot easier. Our fire chief was happy with that method and made the point that they'd always do a full sweep of the building when it's a school anyway. So regardless of your numbers, they're going in, it's just to aid them. And this seemed the most acurate way. it also meant you're not relying on potentialy incomplete sets of registers, out of date information, printing reports, wasting paper, storing them, etc.

Mic

The above post is my own opinion and experience and does not represent the views or opinions of my employer or anyone associated with.

[witch]

We are delaying goinig to full SIMS registration for the same reasons - and I don't think we can rely on students 'knowing' if others are missing as we start at Year 3.

[steveg]

I'm having a similar problem with checking if staff are in, apparently there's a system where everything automatically downloads to a tablet and you can read off the information from there, offline.

Groupcall make a product called emerge which does this.

Steve

[RichCowell]

We use a system called inVentry - visitors & pupils can sign in and out... Visitors with photo ID and badges printed...

All the data syncs to a PDA, so in the event of a fire (drill hopefully), someone can just take the PDA and see all visitors & missing staff/pupils etc... There is also a button to do a quick print out of the list...

inVentry

If you look into it, tell them I sent you :-)

[GREED]

Option for the wealthy schools: iPads and 3G access to either their web based MIS or GroupCall apps.

Option for everyone else (with no disrespect at all): Some MISs have a feature to, in one click, print out all current form registers from that day. Granted that is still a potential time lag, but with a decent speed printer and this feature... called Fire Registers or Fire Drill

[AngryTechnician]

Our schyool office prints a copy of the attendance after each form period. Any one who is late has to report to the school office anyway, so they are aware of any changes following form time.

[bladedanny]

We're a medium sized primary. We have laminated class lists that are kept on reception. After the classes have done their register we run a report to find all absent pupils. These are then marked as away on the laminated class lists using a dry wipe marker. If a pupil turns up late they report to reception where they are then marked as present and the laminated class list updated. Same in reverse if a pupil leaves mid morning. Same process repeated for afternoon registration.

When a fire drill/the real thing happens the office staff take the laminated class lists outside and give them to teachers to check that all are present who should be.

At the end of the day the laminates are wiped clean ready for the next day. So we only use one A4 sheet per class per term.

[sonofsanta]

Option for the wealthy schools: iPads and 3G access to either their web based MIS or GroupCall apps.

Problem: it's your server room that's on fire

My current and last school both print out big chunks of paper each morning after registration. Seems very wasteful, I preferred the Bromcom way of doing things there (although that had its own negatives, reputedly).

You could always print the report to PDF though, and read it off a tablet or Kindle? Only problem is it won't be interactive for marking off present/burning alive.

[michael2k6]

Nice to see lots of different methods. I think it hugely depends on the MIS, staff, and size of school. Knowing who was there worked for us as we were a 11 - 18 secondary, and had 2400 students. So for example, marking absences on laminated sheets wouldn't of been feasible... but nor was my method for year 3's!
Hopefully this thread is sparking some ideas and imagination though.

[GREED]

Problem: it's your server room that's on fire

My current and last school both print out big chunks of paper each morning after registration. Seems very wasteful, I preferred the Bromcom way of doing things there (although that had its own negatives, reputedly).

You could always print the report to PDF though, and read it off a tablet or Kindle? Only problem is it won't be interactive for marking off present/burning alive.

Not a problem sono if your MIS is hosted offsite...

[sonofsanta]

Not a problem sono if your MIS is hosted offsite...

Aye, there is that - not thought of that benefit when it came to Progresso etc. before. Although the cost of tablets would be probably outweigh a good few years worth of printed registers!