On the Roll

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  Wai’anae, HI
  
  May 13, 2015
  
  With 40 acres of land and nearly 2000 students, Waianae High School’s security guards have a lot of ground to cover. With only six guards on staff, they’ve taken it upon themselves to increase their numbers.
  
  “We’re at 6 right now and we have allotted 2 more spots so there will be a total of 8 total on campus, hopefully before the school year concludes,” said security guard Kaleo Searle.
  
  The high school is divided into “zones” that each security guard is responsible for. Although golf carts are currently the primary mode of transportation, the increase in staff opened the door for a new set of wheels.
  
  “To have that accessibility and response time to incidents to be quicker, as opposed to being on foot, that is the purpose behind getting the bicycles,” Searle said.
  
  Golf carts can cost several thousand dollars each, with maintenance costing even more. At only $200 each, bicycles are a healthier and more cost-effective alternative.
  
  “They’re actually pretty cool, um it’s great for the security guards to be on their feet, you know, being active, moving,” said sophomore Chloe Yniguez.
  
  While the bikes were initially intended as a financial solution, they ended up causing a chain reaction throughout the school.
  
  Waianae High School principal Disa Hauge said, “We started off with just having two bikes and then everybody said I want one too, I want one too, so I do hope it is helping them get their job done better.”
  
  Now, other departments are switching gears. Other staff members such as tech coordinators and custodians have also begun to use bicycles to get around.
  
  “I think they’re fun and they help me get from one place to another really quickly. Um, with my job, I walk all the way over the campus and it’s a quarter mile round trip from the front to the back of the school,” said tech coordinator Cory Tom.
  
  Tricycles with baskets are also helping other staff around the school take a heavy load off their shoulders.
  
  “I think it’s a really great thing for me personally, because I have, I usually do 20 trips, 30 trips a day, so getting from the front to the back, really convenient for me,” said custodian Mary Oshima.
  
  With their new mode of transportation, the staff are finding it easier to handle their daily responsibilities, and enjoy them too.
  
  “I thought it was Christmas cause we usually don’t get stuff like that, to help us make our job easier, so it was a really great thing for us,” added Oshima.
  
  Hauge said, “It just makes it so much easier for them. I think if you want somebody to do a really good job, you gotta give them the tools to do it.”