Student Safety in Active Shooter Situation- Part 2, by P.N.

As an educator, I’ve been a part of many types of drills for safety, including active shooter drills. Most schools practice active shooter drills by “calling” the drill while students are already in class. When the drills are called, the teacher shuts the door (that typically is already locked from the outside) and the students sit in the corner away from the door. Then the drill is “cleared”, and that’s pretty much it. There are a variety of problems with this, and as parents we can do some things to improve the safety of our students by helping them be more independent and aware.

We have already discussed ways to improve safety at the bus stop, on the bus, and while entering the school. Now, let’s move on to what students can do inside the school to increase their safety.

Walking Through the Halls

Each day, students change classes upwards of 5-7 times, depending upon their grade level, and walk the halls of their school each time. In the lower grades, typically fifth grade and below, a staff member walks them from location to location. In the lower grades there tends to be much less congestion in the hallways. From sixth or seventh grade (depending on how the district divides their middle school) and up, the quantity of students in the hallway magnifies. In some schools, there are specific stairwells for specific grades because of the quantity of students. There may be 500 plus students moving through the halls at any given time. Again, this creates a prime location for the most devastation to occur. Anyone with ill intent will definitely pick a time such as this to cause the most casualties.

Scan the Area

While your child is walking through the hallways, teach them to scan the area. Having a “head on a swivel” is something that can be taught discreetly so as to not raise any suspicion from friends and other onlookers. Knowing where hallways lead and doorways exit and enter is key to success at this point. If your child is able to spot a shooter soon enough, they have a much higher chance of getting into protective cover more quickly. In the case that they are unable to see the shooter but can hear the fire, knowing where to go in the middle for protection is important. Many students will be scrambling in all directions with no clear path. In some instances, they will subconsciously go to whichever classroom they were heading to, even if it is in harm’s way. As a teacher, I frequently see students aimlessly walking through the halls and many times acting like robots, simply traveling on a predetermined path set for them by their schedule. Make sure that your child is more aware of the building and where they need to go.

Key Questions For Inside the School

The key questions to ask yourself are:

1. If I’m in hallway “A,” where are the outside entrances and exits? What classrooms or areas are nearby in which I could find cover and protection?
2. If my next class is near the main entrance, is there a better route for me to walk so that I have a visual on the door until I get into my classroom?
3. As I am walking, am I aware of what is going on around me? Can I see 360 degrees to all areas? What are other students doing? Are they paying attention or obliviously walking?

All hallways in a building will have positives and negatives. Do your best to identify the best option available.

Sitting in the Classroom

Teaching your child what to do while in the classroom is also crucial. There may be a time when they hear gunshots from in the hall. Being able to properly identify shots is key to acting quickly. If a student is able to help sound the alarm before anyone from the main office or security can, lives may be saved. When in the classroom, your child may have to take the initiative to protect themselves and their classmates. As stated in a previous section, most drills simply require students to move and sit away from the door in a dark, locked room. You should teach your child to take this one step further in a real emergency. Get the teacher and student desks and pile them in front of the doorway in order to impede access to the entryway. This is crucial.

Unfortunately, in a building I worked in several years ago, the classrooms did not have doors! Each room had open access to a common area. Fortunately, each room had an exterior exit that did provide an egress route in an emergency. However, the concept of not having a lockable door is ridiculous! If the room has no door, the act of pushing objects in front of the entryway is even more important. Having a barrier that must be breached will normally deter a shooter who is looking for targets of opportunity.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself in the Classroom

Some of the questions to ask yourself while in the classroom are:

1. What is the best object to put in front of the doorway? Is there a bookcase nearby that can be pushed over to help block the way? Are student’s desks or the teacher’s desk the only option?
2. Is there anything in the room that would help provide cover? Some rooms have built-in features, such as secondary rooms or even bathrooms, that can be accessed or bookcases that are stacked to make a “nook” that may provide ballistic protection.

The Cafeteria or Assemblies

The cafeteria and assemblies, which are most likely held in the auditorium or cafetorium, are once again areas that provide a large, accessible target. Hundreds and hundreds of students all seated in a somewhat confined space creates a prime target of opportunity. The level of casualties can be huge if areas such as these are targeted. Teaching your child to have their “head on a swivel” is once again front and center. Knowing what is going on around them is critical to early detection and, hopefully, protection. Knowing all of the exits in and out of the cafeteria and auditorium are mandatory. Much like in a movie theater, there are limited access points. Typically, there are one or two main access points that people will scramble toward in the event of an emergency. Teaching your child to go against the “herd” could help save their lives. If everyone is fleeing in one direction, that is where a shooter will most likely be aiming. Knowing the back entrance out of the cafeteria or auditorium or understanding that going through the kitchen or stage are viable options for escape is crucial to increase survivability.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself in the Cafeteria or Assembly

Some key questions to ask yourself when you are in crowded areas, such as the cafeteria or in an assembly are:

1. If we are seated in the cafeteria, can I choose my seat? If so, can I pick an area closest to an uncommon entrance and exit to provide an easy way out?
2. When in the auditorium, can I try and put myself toward the outer wall in a seat closest to the aisle? If so, which way will I run? Which exit will I use? If the seats are high enough, can I crawl under the seats?
3. While entering and exiting these areas, can I position myself so that I am not in the masses?

Going Home

When exiting the building we find the same issues as entering the building. Bottle necking and fatal funnels are prevalent. Asking the same questions in reverse is important. This time, however, you need to know if running onto a bus is the smartest option or if running into the parking lot and away from the building is more prudent. Both scenarios can be argued, but I would always air on the side of fleeing the scene completely. Running into the parking lot and away from the building keeps you as far away from danger as possible.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself As You Are Leaving School

As you are going home and leaving the building, some key questions to ask yourself are:

1. Is the door I am exiting the best option? Is there one with less congestion?
2. When walking toward the door, is there a way for me to deviate from my route in the case of a shooter? Can I easily get away from the exit, maybe cutting across the grass or beds that may be adjacent to the walk way?
3. If I’m just exiting the building, where can I go to get away from the location the easiest? Is the parking lot easily accessible?

Talking To Your Child About This Issue

While you are thinking about this topic as an adult, I want to you formulate how you will talk to your child about this issue. I can tell you now that in the majority of schools, there is nowhere near enough focus on possible threats. Although teachers are programmed to follow the drill, not many have any concern for what may happen. Choose at which age you feel it is appropriate to begin the conversation with your child and describe to them in simple terms what to look for and how to respond. It is really never too early to begin instilling this type of mindset. Though, I must stress that creating paranoia should be avoided at all costs, simply describing a basic scenario should not cause any irreparable damage to their psyche. If you take this topic seriously enough, the next time you are in your child’s building you will begin asking these questions to yourself and figuring out how you can help your child respond.

Remember, “it’s not if but when.”

See Also:

• Student Safety in Active Shooter Situation- Part 1, by P.N.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been part two of a two part entry for Round 74 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
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6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
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3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
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5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 74 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.