Sirens, Not Mythical
Parramatta: A Dictionary of Place and Memory - S
In Westfield, the evacuation siren goes off. Shoppers continue to look at clothes, their pace unhurried, though the announcements go for ten minutes. Eventually the siren goes silent, either a test or a false alarm.
Only once did the siren result in a complete evacuation. I was working in the centre and with my colleagues, we made our way outside. We stood on Campbell Street for an hour and a half before heading back to work.
At school, we practise evacuations and lockdowns every year. In the most recent drill, I looked at the class for a second and wondered is this one an evacuation or a lockdown?
Down we went to the field, completing a manual roll. No matter how many drills, there’s always a tweak of improvement to be made. Announcements can’t always be heard and it takes time to account for all the students and staff.
The drills are taken seriously at school.
In the shopping centre, the mood is calm while we wait patiently for someone to turn the alarm off.