On Dec. 21, the Parkway School District set up new classroom number signs that would be more visible to first responders. In previous years, room numbers were placed flat on the walls near each classroom, making it difficult to see what room or area one was entering. The new room numbers are now bigger and flagged out outside of each classroom. 

“First responders don’t spend time in schools. If they don’t know where they’re going, it makes it hard. In an emergency, every second counts. What they’re trying to do is help get people where they need to quicker [by] making it more visible and easier [to] access for everyone,” School Resource Officer Matt Paubel said. 

The West County Fire Department came up with the idea to color code each part of the building to make it easier to locate where the urgency is. The building is divided into different vertical zones, with each zone being assigned a certain color.

“In order to locate certain individuals [and areas], the police and the fire department have to be able to understand the layout of the building better and understand where they’re located, so students and staff are able to see and [know] their location within each classroom during the school day,” Sophomore Principal Jamaal Heavens said. 

With these new room numbers layouts, the Parkway School District believes it’ll be effective not only for any first responders who enter the building but students and staff who may not be aware of their surroundings. 

“From a police perspective, certain officers are coming in from outside the building, and we don’t know the building very well. It’s going to help them a lot because they’ll be able to see clearly where they’re going instead of having to try to walk up to that room,” Paubel said. “It’ll help people figure out in the long run where they’re going a little bit quicker. I don’t see a downside to it.” 

Additional inward-facing room signs were also installed across the building, displaying room numbers inside each classroom. During the upcoming safety drills, students will be further educated on the importance of the new signs and how to efficiently use them.

“The main thing [is to] make sure everybody’s safe, [and] make sure everyone knows where they’re located at. That’s why you see signs inside the classrooms and outside because if you’re inside a classroom, you may not know the room number. It makes it easier for everyone to recognize exactly where they are and to be able to tell their exact location in case of emergencies,” Heavens said.