We are immensely grateful that Bogotá and ECA were spared from the serious damage so much of other parts of Colombia experienced. We would like to reassure you that ECA’s buildings and infrastructure comply with Colombian construction and Design Standards, as well the NSR-98 Earthquake-Resistant Construction standards, which were engineered to withstand strong earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above.
Aware that even the best drawn-up plans are only effective if they are followed, the Lord provided professionals from our community to be on site often to ensure construction proceeded as approved, to prevent shortcuts from being taken.
The school has established protocols to respond effectively to emergency situations, which includes the School Emergency and Crisis plan, which is revised each year. One of these protocols included an inspection and revision of the school building after the earthquake took place. No damage, cracks, shifts, or other visible issues were identified that would compromise the structural stability or safety of the buildings. Gerry Asaro, a structural engineer visiting from the States, was also able to visit and tour the facilities to assess the school’s condition after the event. We praise God that the school’s entire infrastructure is in excellent condition, with no alterations, which meets standard safety requirements for us to continue school operations.
In the event of an evacuation, our procedures are designed to ensure that students and staff reach the designated safe areas in approximately 3 minutes after the evacuation alarm is activated. However, our students have been evacuating in less than 1 minute!
The ECA Emergency Response Team (which includes first aid, fire and evacuation) was also established at the beginning of the school year, and they received training the week before the earthquake. Additional training for this team will be held in October.
We’d like to remind parents to remain calm during an emergency situation at school, waiting for official ECA communication. The handbook says “Communication regarding school safety or closure will be in both English and Spanish using the school website, messages sent home with students, texts, emails, and/or other appropriate measures.” We continue to work on improving this process so information can be shared as quickly as possible.
We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment and ensuring our school community is well prepared for any emergency.
