District 211 staff practices dealing with an armed intruder
Palatine-Schaumburg Township High School District 211 has educated and trained staff about what to do in emergency situations. Staff recently worked with local police to practice a hard lockdown scenario as if an armed intruder entered a school building, complete with sounds of gunshots.
The Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Schaumburg Police Departments coordinated efforts with District 211 to practice active shooter drills within Schaumburg and Palatine High Schools April 8 while no students were present because of Institute Day.
“Twice a year our drills include active participation from the local police departments and our school staff,” said Daniel Cates, associate superintendent of administrative services at District 211. “Those drills have become very proficient, and our staff has developed skills that are right where we would like them to be. These active shooter drills, in coordination with the police, afford both organizations an opportunity to examine what realistically happens specifically within the first 30 seconds of an event starting.”
District 211 notified parents and others of the drill so they would not be alarmed if they saw law enforcement vehicles at the schools. Police training teams used firearms with blanks to simulate what gunshots sound like in a school building. The purpose was to prepare staff for any scenario.
The benefit was not just for staff, but also for police response teams to practice their protocols in a school-shooting situation.
“We’re all aware of unfortunate events that have happened nationally, and they can happen anywhere, including schools,” Cates said. “Although we cannot guarantee that an incident or crisis won’t ever occur, we can put forth every conscientious effort possible to prepare our staff to limit the damage that could occur if an event were to start.”
After the drill, staff had the opportunity to review the drill and ask police questions.
“All of our police departments do a fantastic job, and our partnership with them is invaluable,” Cates said.