UNION, W.Va. – An active shooter inside of a school is a nightmare scenario for parents and school leaders alike across the U.S. It’s becoming a reality for more and more people and is a terrifying possibility that can even pop up in a peaceful small town like Union.
That’s why Monroe County school leaders say they have an active shooter mock drill every year.
“We do annually try to do a mock disaster at each of our schools and rotate through them. We have to go over them every year, we have to go over active shooter drills. Of course monthly we do lock down drills things just to stay as prepared as possible,” said Johnathan McPherson, safety director for Monroe County Schools.
Faculty from every school in Monroe County gathered at Mountain View Elementary and Middle School for the special training. Staff were tasked with executing some of the common steps given for educators in this harrowing situation, including getting inside rooms, locking doors, turning off lights, and staying put until the all clear is given by police.
“It’s sad that we have to practice these but absolutely necessary. We want to keep children safe,” said Dr. Joetta Basile, Monroe County Schools Superintendent.
Once the training was complete, faculty were given the ability to debrief and learn what they can improve on.
Jonah Adkins, the director of safety and tiered support systems for the West Virginia Department of Education says he was invited to watch the training unfold and potentially take in new information that could be used to improve safety in schools all across the mountain state, and even save lives.
“It’s very important that they are conducting these drills because drills and practice ultimately save lives in the end. Drills help us reveal the area that we may feel vulnerable,” said Adkins. “Things that we need to continue to practice on and work onto strengthen our response not only from the school side but the law enforcement side as well.”
The active shooter drill was made possible thanks to deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The drill proved valuable to deputies as well, they were able to touch up on their skills in this scenario and learn the layout of the school.
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