School Safety Audit
Narrative of Safety Audit: Langston Hughes Middle School, conducted November 24, 2009
Section I. Surrounding Environment
There is no visible impact on the school from the surrounding environment. The
school is located in a quiet residential neighborhood with no major roads intersecting near
the school. The traffic flow and crosswalks are controlled by crossing guards prior to the
start of school and during dismissal.
Section II. Building Exterior
The exterior of the building is clean and welcoming. School grounds are wellmanicured and maintained by the custodial staff. Trash receptacles are accessible at each
exit and around the playing fields. All grounds are free of standing water and debris. There
is no graffiti or other signs of vandalism on the school grounds. All storage, mechanical,
and engineering equipment is securely stored.
The school has numbers posted on the building near each entrance. This allows
emergency personnel to enter the building closest to the emergency. All sidewalks and
curbs are in good condition and allow handicap access throughout the campus. Points of
access for trailers are free of unusual hazards, though not handicap accessible. The
parking lot is located in the front of the building. The parking lot area is for staff and visitors
only. All cars parked in the lot must display a county issued parking permit to control
unwanted vehicles. The parking lot has designated spaces for handicapped individuals
and administrative staff personnel. A recommendation would be to designate a small
number of parking spaces for visitors. This would act as an additional control to monitor
visitors in the building. The parking lot has adequate lighting, though it is recommended to
increase the number of light fixtures in the lot.
The fire lanes are clearly marked with county approved signs and painted curbing.
There are no obstructions in the fire lanes. The bus loop is located in front of the building
School Safety Audit
with loading and unloading zones between entrances 1 and 2. This area is marked with
signage to prevent pedestrian activity or vehicle access. The kiss and ride area is clearly
marked at the front of the building. The parent drop-off area is located on Ridge Heights
Road and does not require entering the campus driveway or parking lot. This alleviates
traffic during loading and drop-off times where students are travelling outside of the building.
The school grounds are used during Physical Education classes and community
youth clubs. The fields are well maintained and safe for usage. However, the soccer goals
are not tethered or secured to the ground. This is a direct violation of Fairfax County
Community and Recreation Services regulations and must be addressed immediately.
Section III. Building Interior
The interior of the school was clean, orderly, and welcoming. The school is designed
in a circular shape with only one level. Each entrance and exit to the school was clearly
numbered both on the interior and exterior. This allows people from inside the building to
give guidance to outside resources if in the event of an emergency. A suggestion would be
to position the numbers such that they are perpendicular to the wall so they would be visible
from down the hall. This would be especially useful for community members and visitors
who are not familiar with the building. The main office is located between entrances #1 and
#2. Each entrance is clearly marked for all visitors to report to the main office through
entrance #1. The front office has the ability to control visitor entry via electronic control.
As per Fairfax County Public Schools regulations, all staff and faculty clearly displayed ID
badges. The front office keeps record of all visitors to the building.
All classrooms, offices and other instructional areas contain a plastic file holder
which contains the crisis management plan. The crisis management plan includes
information for students and faculty if in the event of a fire, tornado, unauthorized visitors, or
school lockdown. The school has a record of each fire drill conducted as per Fairfax
School Safety Audit
County Public Schools regulations. The school is required to conduct a fire drill each week
the first month of school and then monthly for the remainder of the year.
The hallways are free and clear of all obstructions with two exceptions. The two areas
furniture is located in the hallways both need attention. The furniture (including a piano)
obstructing the exit doors of the lecture hall must be removed. The benches located in the
foyer of the building must be tethered to the floor. The classrooms are clearly marked with
a room number at the top of the door jamb. The halls are clear of any graffiti and neatly
painted with directional information. All vending machines are located in the cafeteria and
positioned with proper set back distances. There are several posters located on the walls
that do not meet the Decoration and Display policy. These must be either removed or
adjusted to meet the policy standards. All electrical panels were locked and only
accessible with the master key.
All bathrooms were neat, tidy, and in good working order. No graffiti or other signs of
vandalism were apparent. Each bathroom contained the proper supply of soap and paper
towels. The bathrooms were all properly lit with protective light coverings and ventilation.
The unoccupied classroom doors were all locked. The vision panels were
unobstructed. Each classroom is provided a black covering if the event of a school
lockdown. The black covering is designed to prevent unauthorized visitors the opportunity
to observe potential victims. Each evacuation map was posted just inside the door frame
along with the crisis management plan. Each map contained a primary and secondary
route. The interior of each classroom met the Decoration and Display policy. The
Auditorium exit was free and clear of obstruction and must remain locked while not in use.
Section IV. Maintenance
Only minor maintenance issues were noted in the inspection. Ceiling tiles were
generally in good condition, although there are tiles that will require replacement outside
School Safety Audit
rooms 113 and 124. In addition, at the end of the science hallway, the ceiling tile through
which the exit sign extends should be immediately replaced or repaired. One orange
ceiling panel is missing outside the media center; this too must be replaced.
No problems were noted in regard to any maintenance-related fire-safety issues.
All storage rooms are neat, and all combustibles are properly stored. Fire extinguishers
have been properly inspected. It has been clearly demonstrated that all dryer vents are
cleaned on a regular schedule. All electrical, mechanical, and boiler rooms were found to
be properly secured, and no materials are stored near electrical equipment. All utility
disconnects are clearly marked.
Section V. Miscellaneous
Of all items in this category, there is only one persistent problem: any small personal
appliances (microwave ovens, coffeemakers, refrigerators) in classrooms, offices, or
workspaces must be plugged in to a surge protector. This is a frequent problem
throughout the school, and was noted in the following locations: Rooms 122, 127, 144, 156,
188, and 189. In addition, personal space heaters were found in the following locations:
Rooms 121, 135, 145, 167, and 177. These must be removed from the building
immediately.
All fuel and combustible materials have been stored properly. All padlocks are
accessible by the grand master key. There is no obstruction to any fire door in the building,
and all exit doors are unobstructed. There is no indication that vehicles ever block exit
doors. The school Facility Crisis Management Security Plan is updated with AED
locations, and an updated list of staff members trained in their use is included.
School Safety Audit
Office of Safety and Security
FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Fairfax, Virginia
MEMORANDUM
December 2, 2009
TO:
XXXXXXXXXX
FROM:
Brian Crosson
SUBJECT:
School Safety Audit for Hughes Middle School
The Virginia General Assembly requires school boards to conduct an annual safety
audit of each school. The audit is designed to assess the safety conditions and develop
solutions for physical safety concerns that include building security issues.
On November 24, 2009, a safety audit was performed at your school with the following
results:
Commendations:
 School grounds are maintained and well-manicured.
 School is clean and welcoming.
 Crisis management plans and fire evacuation plans are properly distributed and posted.
 Fire extinguishers are inspected monthly as required by FCPS regulations.
 All combustibles and fuels are properly stored.
 All access and fire doors were unobstructed.
 The Facility Crisis Management Security Plan is fully updated.
Recommendations:
 Anchor soccer goals to fields.
 Improve parking lot lighting.
 Enhance visibility of interior door numbers.
 Furniture must not obstruct entrances, exits, or hallways.
 Posters must meet Decoration and Display policy.
 Damaged ceiling tiles and panels must be replaced (see report for locations).
 All personal appliances must be plugged into a surge protector.
 Heat appliances (personal space heaters) must be removed from the building.
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December 2, 2009
Page 2
A copy of this report must be kept in the principal's office, and be available for review upon
written request. The principal should conduct an annual review of audit results. The
intent of this procedure is to monitor the ongoing progress of the recommendations set
forth in this report, and to identify any additional needs or safety concerns that have
developed since the audit was conducted. A follow up visit will be conducted within 30
days to assure compliance of recommendations from the initial visit. The status of work
orders and DC 407s recommended from the initial visit will also be checked at this time.
XXX/btc
cc: XXXXXXXXXX