Keeping Kids Safe – School officials applaud COVID-19 TQR site tools
INDIANAPOLIS – Keeping kids safe – current research shows that parents are more worried about safety than the emotional and social benefits of their kids as schools reopen. Schools face these and other numerous challenges as they adapt to remain open, particularly as they focus on keeping students and staff safe from the continuing potential spread of COVID-19.
As administrators confirm, following Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines can be difficult, including the recommendation that schools deploy a temporary quarantine room. The guidelines emphasize keeping students and faculty safe, while being sensitive to students who may exhibit COVID symptoms.
As Dr. Jack Parker, superintendent of Mt. Vernon Community Schools, recently noted: “We have been spending a lot of time, basically since spring break meeting regularly with our leadership team, reviewing all the CDC guidelines, the direction from the state department, our local department of health, Indiana department of education, the governor – we’ve received a lot of guidance as we develop our plan to make sure that our school year is as safe as possible for all students and staff.”
View TQR™ video news release with area superintendent, principal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZJ-MK_BGm8
Regarding the CDC and state recommendation for a temporary on-site quarantine facility, Dr. Parker said: “Schools are trying to figure this out – creating something ourselves for separation presents a whole bunch of other challenges.”
“If somebody comes to our school with a symptom of COVID-19, the first thing we do is we get them isolated. Hamilton gave us a great solution for that. We can isolate students very quickly, comfortably,” he stated.
To solve Mt. Vernon’s challenge in adhering to CDC and state guidelines, Hamilton built a customized TQR™ structure for use in the health center at Mt. Vernon Middle School. “When we have a student that needs to be isolated due to COVID-19, the Hamilton TQR gives us that ability to quickly isolate that student in a comfortable space while we await parent pickup,” explained Benjamin Williams, principal of Mt. Vernon Middle School.
As a community service during the pandemic crisis, Hamilton elected to offer the TQR™ (Temporary Quarantine Room) to schools on an at-cost basis. “With our service to a strong national and international client base for exhibits and event structures, Hamilton holds robust and relevant experience in healthcare and related industries that we thought could be leveraged as a community service,” said Dan Cantor, chief executive officer of Hamilton. “As an Indianapolis-based family business, we want to do our part in helping schools, parents, students and communities deal with an extraordinary complex situation.”
In addition to the TQR™ structure, Hamilton offers a wide range of other structures to promote school and student safety, including desk and room shields (see more at http://bit.ly/HamiltonSafeSchoolsStructures). More information about the TQR™ temporary facility is available online at: https://bit.ly/Hamilton-TQR
School administrators note several advantages of the Hamilton-provided TQR™ in keeping kids safe, including:
- Provides peace of mind for parents, staff, students and administrators (no handmade temporary solutions that provide minimal safety standards and are challenging to disinfect)
- Built and provided at cost (no profit); cost can be subsidized by local corporate and philanthropic sponsorship
- Provides standardized solution that is portable, modular and can be re-purposed (e.g. diagnostic facility, telehealth area, private testing facility)
- Easy to clean and sanitize according to CDC and local health department standards
- Facility can fit into spaces against existing walls or corner areas, no remodeling construction required
- Can be located near school health rooms and/or near designated exit for pickup by parents or guardians
- TQR™ facility can have school spirit or kid-friendly signage affixed to interior and exterior to help put students at ease and reduce possible stigma
Professionals at Hamilton can provide free consulting to area school administrators and nursing staff to develop the most cost-effective and safety-focus solution possible in keeping kids safe.
“We invite and encourage other companies to join in where possible to help our schools,” said Cantor. “This coronavirus is going to be with us for a while, and it’s important to keep the safety of our students, school faculty and parents at a high level.”
# # #
About Hamilton – Hamilton Exhibits creates immersive brand experiences. Through strategy, production and project management, their event marketing solutions bring brands to life. They partner to engage client customers through tradeshows, events and sales environments, making memorable experiences that deliver measurable results. Based in Indianapolis, Hamilton also maintains a Chicago presence. For more information, please visit www.hamilton-exhibits.com.
MEDIA contact: Michael Snyder, MEK, 317-805-4870 msnyder@themekgroup.com
Hamilton TQR™ and school safety products: John Patten 317-504-0713 jpatten@hamilton-exhibits.com
View TQR™ video news release with area superintendent, principal: https://youtu.be/3ZJ-MK_BGm8