Page 17 - Flathead Beacon // 4.6.16

Safariland Group trainers, the teachers received a certi cate 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 ght. Clarke said someone’s rst 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 put- ting objects against the door. And lastly, if there are no other options, people should try and ght the intruder.
Sandy Wall is an instructor with Safa- riland based in Austin, Texas. Prior to joining Safariland, Wall was a police o - cer in Houston. He said the rst few min- utes 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 any- thing 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 red at the begin- ning of each scenario and teachers had to
During an active-shooter training at Flathead High School on March 29, Rick Gordon, left, Leon Wilcox and Carl Hennell, right, take down Sgt. Sam
Cox, with the Flathead County Sheri ’s O ce.
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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 certi ed 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.”
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APRIL 6, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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