Determining the Preparedness of Grades 7 to 12 Students to Participate in Earthquake and Fire Drills

Abstract

Statista’s Research Department (2022) states that the Philippines had 14 natural disasters in 2021. That same year, the country ranked as the fifth most disaster-prone nation in the world. With this data in mind, academic institutions should focus on improving their disaster risk readiness programs and stimulating a quicker response time from students and personnel. Other schools have made particular efforts to develop their disaster risk training curriculum. However, there has been limited research on the effects of school disaster preparedness seminars on the factors that influence the behavioral preparedness of students. Most papers used as a reference for our related literature only focused on primary-level students, college students, and rural areas within disaster risk zones. Conducting this study will be incredibly significant to both junior high school students and senior high school students located in urban areas as the research will cover how prepared they are in case of a sudden earthquake or fire and what they can do to lessen the impact from an objective standpoint. Since the researchers’ goal was to determine the preparedness of grades 7 to 12 students in earthquake and fire drills, due to the limited amount of time and resources available in the current situation, utilizing a 27-item survey questionnaire as the data collection instrument was the most appropriate option.

The survey consisted of multiple-choice, rating scale (Likert Scale), and close-ended questions. The researchers conducted Pilot Testing among six members of the focused population and were asked to elicit feedback and recommendations before distributing them to the large population.

Q1. How prepared are students for Earthquake and Fire Drills?

a.) Bringing Grab Bags and First Aid Kits

b.) Evacuation Protocol

Q2. How do students assess themselves regarding preparedness for Earthquakes and Fire Drills?

Q3. What activities are conducted by the Center for Campus and Security Safety (CCSS) that help prepare the students for Earthquake and Fire Drills this School Year 2022-2023?

After the data gathering and interpretation, the study’s results showed that students are prepared for earthquake and fire drills regarding the accessibility of their grab bags and first aid kits, knowledge and execution of the duck-cover-and-hold practices, and evacuation protocols. Regarding student self-assessment and preparedness for earthquake and fire drills, most students complete the drills without hesitation and immediately follow the evacuation protocols established by the school. Many were knowledgeable and intellectually capable of reacting appropriately during an earthquake or fire drill. According to the data presented, respondents strongly agree that the earthquake drills conducted by the Center for Campus and Security Safety are beneficial. It heightened the students’ awareness regarding sudden phenomena such as the upsurge of an earthquake and how to survive during, before, and after this phenomenon. Students involved in the drilling process, with the support of their teachers, feel more confident and capable of handling any dangerous situation during an earthquake or a fire as they can identify the specific locations, room numbers, and windows where they will be positioned to help their fellow students escape. The Data reveals that the earthquake drills conducted by the Center for Campus and Security Safety are, in fact, beneficial, and students from grades 7 to 12 are knowledgeable enough in terms of preparedness for earthquakes and fire drills.