Slaves to credit. Literally. Where there are servants there be masters.
Slaves to credit. Literally. Where there are servants there be masters.
A cheap above ground shelter that will cover a family of four will run you about $2,500. How much for a shelter that will cover 40? 400? 1,200? Now take that times the number of facilities in the state that congregate children. Schools, day care facilities, churches, etc. It's a LOT of money. Now how many kids have died in schools, etc. because of shelter deficiencies? It wouldn't be much more cost effective than assigning a cop for every 10 citizens, rather than the norm of one per 1,000.
One big issue I take with your premise is the expectation that the government do your bidding for you. You want it? I suggest you pony up your time and start a school bond drive in your district for them. Better yet, run for the school board and increase your odds of success. While you're at it, start a fundraising drive to get them built. School boards control more money in the state of Oklahoma than pretty much all local governments. Get involved if you see an issue. Don't sit back and complain from the comfort of your keyboard because others aren't doing what you'd like.
We are currently building a new elementary school. The entire center section of the building is going to be a storm shelter. It cost a lot of extra money for this but it is money well spent. The building is a approx 52,000 sq ft and cost is around 10 million.
Can you post the pics? Have not been able to find any as you describe on the internets.
As a retired Oklahoma Teacher. I know that if the parents want it, and make enough noise about it. The schools would find a way to build shelters. I taught in Norman at Cleveland Elementary. We had a underground shelter that could fit all of the students and teachers in it. The shelter become a City Public Shelter when school is not in session. The school was built in 1962 or 63. The shelter was originally to be used as a bomb shelter. The old Lincoln School on Classen in Norman had an underground shelter. It was a tunnel that went under Classen. The Ciity filled in the tunnel because too many people were killed (auto) by hitting the entrance to the tunnell. Jefferson School used to have a basement the students went into. The Old Central High School niow a Mid high had the students sit down in an interior hallway made of concrete walls. (hall,concrete, classroom, outside brick wall). but in my 25 years of teaching and the 37 years my wife taught in the norman School System and the 25 years my mother taught in ther system we never heard of a tornado hitting a school in either Norman, Moore, or Oklahoma City. Times have changed EXCEPT, if the public wants every school to have a Tornado shelter, the Legislature will see that school systems get the money to do so. Remember... just like the increase in teacher pay.
It used to be the norm, not because it was required but by choice/necessity/lack of alternative. Not perfect or the best but you have to wonder how many they saved.
These are scattered across the country side about every two or three miles in the area where I live, and are still very usable. I told my wife if you're anywhere around home and can't make it home to our shelter, just drive to the closest underground and get in. I can think of 7 of these within a 10' mile circle of my house.
I can see the problems of using a school shelter as a public shelter. IMO public shelters are not a great idea. Puts too many people scrambling at the last minute trying to make it there, traffic problems, someone has to be there to unlock it if it's closed, and someone has to be in charge there and decide when it's time to shut the door...................no matter who's screaming and knocking on the other side.
Edmond has 9 schools with SafeRoom/Shelter classrooms that can hold almost 8000 students and counting underground building areas that can hold another 4,000. Thats still a long way from the 22,000 plus in the district. And they normally will not open them up to the public during non school hours.
It used to be the norm, not because it was required but by choice/necessity/lack of alternative. Not perfect or the best but you have to wonder how many they saved.
These are scattered across the country side about every two or three miles in the area where I live, and are still very usable. I told my wife if you're anywhere around home and can't make it home to our shelter, just drive to the closest underground and get in. I can think of 7 of these within a 10' mile circle of my house.
I can see the problems of using a school shelter as a public shelter. IMO public shelters are not a great idea. Puts too many people scrambling at the last minute trying to make it there, traffic problems, someone has to be there to unlock it if it's closed, and someone has to be in charge there and decide when it's time to shut the door...................no matter who's screaming and knocking on the other side.
Same in my area. Those dug out shelters are everywhere. The public shelters went away after the Cold war ended for the very reason you state. If the one or two persons with the key can't get there, all die at the entrance.
