The horrific collapse of part of the roof at the Brown School last week sent shock waves through the community and served as a wake up call that the structural integrity of some of our public buildings is far from sure and safe.

As blessed luck would have it, no one was in the building at the times of the incident, so personal tragedy was avoided. But that was indeed just a matter of pure chance.

And now, instead of mourning the loss of life or grave personal injury, we can immediately focus on remedies that need to be put into effect.

There will be plenty of time for finger pointing and the laying of blame for what has already happened and what may come to pass if decisive action is not taken immediately.

For now, the top priority must be making sure that those who occupy these buildings – most particularly our school kids – can do so safely and without fear of injury or fatalities.

Clearly, the overflights of camera-laden drones could not tell the full story of concerning the condition of these buildings, nor were they ever intended to do so. They were but one small step in a larger process that must be taken to completion, now with even more urgency.

The city will undoubtedly do its part, and we must do ours by supporting and encouraging this process through to its ultimate aim, the public good and safety.