We are all aware of how crucial school safety is. We have many children and key individuals to keep safe, but we can’t do it without the assistance of RM’s team of security guards and corporals, who put in countless hours to ensure that staff and students are safe and secure while they are at school. The RM security guards are especially important to students because of how friendly they are, and many students have strong friendships with them.
One student at RM has a particularly fun relationship with one of the security guards. “Walking back from lunch, I called one of the security guards ‘queen’, and ever since then, we’ve been best friends,” freshman Senesha De Silva said. This is just one more way that the security team makes students at RM feel comfortable.
“We are here for a lot, a lot of times students might vent to us if they don’t feel comfortable with their teachers or their parents or anything. We [are] just like an ear or someone that listens to them,” security guard Mr. Cooper said. He has worked at RM for four years as a security guard, and loves putting a smile on students’ faces.
Aside from bringing cheer to students and staff, security guards have a wide range of responsibilities. “The job is to make sure the doors are locked, make sure everything is in place, [check you] guys’ ID. Be sure the halls are clear, you know, sweep through the bathrooms and just overall [ensure] safety,” Mr. Cooper said.
Security guards have many hidden jobs that we may not notice them doing! If any potential threats or emergencies happen, the RM security team is prepared. “We have a procedure, we’re not really supposed to tell you but we go to the administration, so initial threat, we always investigate first,” Mr. Cooper said.
Art teacher Micheal McDermott enjoys seeing the security guards in the morning. He says he feels safe around them and that they have a significant impact on the school. He also says that he appreciates how good they are at their job. “ I like the relationships they build with the kids and how they are so dutifully to their job and that can be kind of a tough job.” McDermott said.
Many security guards are well-trained, which makes them so perfect to protect our community. “I started doing security a couple years after high school, then I ended up joining the army. I did all that, then I got back out of the military and I was like, whoa, let’s pick up where I left off,” security guard Tim Thompson said.
The most rewarding thing about being a security guard is “the smiles on students faces, like sometimes they may be having a bad day and we’re able to just put a smile on their face,” Mr. Cooper said. RM is happy to have such a fantastic team!
If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue you feel is relevant to our community, please do so here. Anyone is able and welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor, regardless of journalistic experience or writing skills. Submissions may be published either online or in a print issue.
