A problem that unfortunately plagues this country is public safety.

It is becoming more and more common to see headlines describing a shooting in a school or an office, or targeted death threats made on social media platforms. For whatever reason, some people feel the need to instill terror into the minds of ordinary citizens. As such, it becomes our duty as those ordinary citizens to always prepare for the worst. This way, while carrying out our normal lives, we know how to react in a critical event.

A perfect example of this kind of preparation is Valley High School’s “secure your area” drills. By calling them “code orange,” these simulations fall in between the need for heightened awareness called “code yellow” and that of immediate lockdown, or “code red.” “Secure your area” is called out by school administrators when all students need to be accounted for. It means that there is no direct threat, but something that could become one, meaning that students and teachers should be ready.

This week, Valley High engaged a “secure your area” simulation to allow K9 units to sweep through several classrooms in a random drug check. No drugs were found, but more importantly everyone was where they needed to be when they needed to be there. It showed that the “code orange” works in getting everyone in line, and if there were to be a “code red,” the school would be more than prepared.