Lockdowns And Being Prepared - Lessons Learned From The Karate Kid on Lockdown

[Pauline Winters]

If you have ever been in a "lockdown" you know that you are supposed
to lock the door, shut off the lights, proceed to a remote place of
the room or office and be quiet. We practice shelter in place and fire
drills along with lock down drills routinely in the schools to prepare
you for "the real deal". Nobody ever thinks that you will ever have to
use the information used or lessons learned from the drills until
something really happens.
Recently, I was involved in a lock down during an investigation of a
situation. I was very pleased that there had been cooperation so
quickly. My comfort level shifted however when the school started
letting people in the building as they did not want to leave students
who were tardy outside. Along with the students however, other people
were allowed to enter the building. Three people came knocking at my
door which I had to turn away. A lockdown clearly states nobody in and
nobody out.
The longer we stayed in lockdown the more my anxiety started to build.
My mind started wandering and I became a bit scared at the
possibilities. Reality has set in of the violence that exists in our
world each time a news broadcast speaks of a "situation" somewhere in
the world. I heard all the conversations on the building walkie-talkie
which added to the anxiety. I wondered if I was going to be called to
help out in any medical aspect of injury at any point in time. My
observations of myself surprised me as I have worked in critical care
units and trauma situations and I had been down the road of
"adrenaline rushing" before.
Looking back I realized that in the movie "The Karate Kid", the
greatest advice Mr. Miyagi gave his student Daniel Larusso was "wax
on...wax off...wax on...wax off". The repetitions of his movements
over and over again paid off in the end when he realized he could use
them in his martial art competition. He overcame his fears and not
only won the competition but beat his rival.
So what did I learn from that lockdown?
The more we practice the lockdown the smoother things will run and the
less things we will have to "work out for next time". Thus, we will be
more confident and self-assured. People remain calmer when they are
prepared.
Here are a few tips to help with being prepared during a lockdown:
' stay calm and try not to panic
' take deep breaths to help with increasing anxiety
' follow directions completely
' get people into your room immediately, lock the door and don't open
it for anyone until the all clear signal is given
' have pre-identified "safety spots" to send people who are not
secured in the building or outside the building
' do not encourage parents to come to the school or phone their
children
' shut the lights, remain quiet during the lock down and move into a
corner of the room away from the door
' post lockdown signs on building doors
' support each other in remaining calm
The more you practice the clearer your brain pathway will be for that
particular situation and at a certain point your mind will want to
follow that track automatically. Keep an open mind and follow
directions to wax off anxiety and wax on peace and calm.

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