Administrators, faculty, first responders, and students had an opportunity Thursday morning, Sept. 18, to practice their handling of active school shooter scenarios during planned drill exercises conducted at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.
The drill was made possible by the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, which provided about $6,000 in funding to contract with Preparedness Solutions, Inc., to set up the drill, local EMA Director Helen Norris said. She noted the firm has done more than 100 active shooter drills to date.
Norris oversaw operations at the Hilliker YMCA, which served as a reunification site during the drill. About a third of the Hi-Point’s approximately 712 total student body made their way from campus to the Y during the drill. The EMA head said Hi-Point faculty was efficient in taking student attendance at the Y, making sure everyone was accounted for, even when she purposely pulled students from where they were supposed to be to “throw a curve” at educators.
Critiquing the exercise from a general sense, Bellefontaine Fire Chief Brian Wilson said communications is an area that can always be improved, especially when dealing with block-wall school buildings that can hamper cellphone and radio communication. First responders will study Thursday’s drills to find ways to “improve the flow” of how they handled them, Norris said.
Hi-Point Superintendent Dr. Rick Smith said he appreciated the local EMA and first responders’ support. Dr. Smith was particularly impressed with the swift and decisive actions of campus school resource officer, Adam Niederkohr, who was “through the door before it locked” and neutralized the mock threat in about 90 seconds during the first scenario.
Kelsey Webb, Hi-Point marketing director, said about 1,200 alerts were sent to parents and guardians via the school’s Parent Square notification system during the drill, with only three showing as being unreachable, according to school data. Parent Square sends phone, email, text and app notifications to parents, Webb noted.
Some 60 first responders took part in the exercises. Among the agencies participating were the Logan County Sheriff’s Office (including dispatch and communication staff), Bellefontaine Fire and EMS, Bellefontaine Police Department, Russells Point Police Department, Washington Township Police Department, West Mansfield Police Department, Tri-Valley Fire District, Macohee EMS, Logan County Rescue Task Force, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and others.
All of the officials who spoke with the Examiner about Thursday’s drills said they felt like it was beneficial and that it would help school and emergency personnel with preparedness should an actual active shooter event ever occur.
The drills lasted about three hours.
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