Schools, Law Enforcement Prepare for the Worst

It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon when gunshots rang out in the halls of Flathead High School.

A group of teachers and staff sitting in the cafeteria sprinted for the double doors. A classroom full of staff descended into chaos when a victim fell through the doorway, blood covering his wrist.

As one teacher dragged the man to safety, others slammed and barricaded the door, using everything they could find to keep it shut. One teacher wrapped an extension cord around the doorknob and held it tight around the corner. They turned off the lights and hunkered down.

And in the hallway, just around the corner, a group of teachers who had been jovially hanging posters ran for the safety of the outside when a gunmen turned a corner and took dead aim at the group. But instead of sprinting in the other direction, the teachers took action. One slid below the man holding the long-gun and another grabbed the barrel. Within a matter of seconds the man was on the floor under a pile of a half-dozen educators.

“Cease fire, cease fire, cease fire,” yelled a man, who calmly stood in the hallway during the entire incident. “So what did we do right and what did we do wrong?”

On March 28-29, law enforcement officers and educators from across Northwest Montana gathered at Flathead High School in Kalispell to practice a scenario no one hopes for: an active shooter inside a school.

According to Every Town for Gun Safety, there have been 171 gun-related incidents at schools across the United States since 2013. Those statistics include incidents where multiple people were fatally shot or where weapons were unintentionally discharged on school property. Some of the most deadly incidents have been etched into the mind of the national conscience, including Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook.

The training, put on by Safariland Group and the Kalispell Police Department, began with in-class seminars about those high-profile shootings and others, according to Flathead High School resource officer Cory Clarke. During those sessions, participants learned about what went right and what went wrong in those shootings. Participants also learned about what to do in the case of a shooting, specifically when to run, when to hide and when to fight. After learning the basics, they put their new skills to use during a simulated incident.

On March 28, local law enforcement and a small group of teachers took the active shooter preparedness training. The following day, the first day’s participants shared their newly gained knowledge with other teachers. After successfully running the active shooting preparedness training, with the oversight of Safariland Group trainers, the teachers received a certificate that means they can continue to host training sessions. Clarke said those teachers can now spread what they learned to others across the region.

In the past, students and teachers were told to hide in case of a shooting. But current practices call for a three-pronged response: run, barricade or fight. Clarke said someone’s first reaction should always be to run if they believe they can get away from a shooter safely. If they cannot run, people should then lock and barricade themselves in a room and do everything they can to prevent the intruder from coming in, including putting objects against the door. And lastly, if there are no other options, people should try and fight the intruder.

Sandy Wall is an instructor with Safariland based in Austin, Texas. Prior to joining Safariland, Wall was a police officer in Houston. He said the first few minutes of any active shooting incident are critical.

“The three or four minutes before the police arrive are critical and those are the minutes where people live or die,” he said. “And people will die if no one does anything to stop the intruder.”

The simulated shooting included four scenarios: one in a cafeteria, two in a classroom and one in a hallway. A gun loaded with blanks was fired at the beginning of each scenario and teachers had to react to the situation as it unfolded. In one case, they simply barricaded themselves in the room and in another they worked as a team to take down the shooter. Clarke said the drills are very realistic, which helps the teachers remember the training.

“The adrenaline makes you really remember this training,” he said. “I took this course two years ago and I’ve never forgotten it.”

John Hannay is safety director and maintenance supervisor for public schools in Eureka. He took part in both days of training and is now certified to give the course himself. He said letting teachers practice what they learn is one of the most important aspects of the entire training.

“The only way you’ll ever be able to use these skills is to practice them,” he said. “And hopefully no one ever has to use them in real life.”