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Training day

‘Real-life training’ for active-shooter situation

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Warren County School District ALICE trainers prepare to counter if an intruder makes it past their improvised barricade during a demonstration at the public ALICE presentation Thursday at Beaty-Warren Middle School.

For three years, every sixth through 12th grader in Warren County School District, and their teachers and administrators, have been through ALICE training at least once a year.

Younger students have been getting a different, age-appropriate training.

“It’s a continual process,” Superintendent Amy Stewart said. “We take it very seriously.”

Until Thursday, only a handful of parents and other community members had gone through the training.

More than 150 people attended public ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training Thursday evening at Beaty-Warren Middle School.

It was not the first time the district had opened up the training to the public. “We did a presentation like this a year ago in every attendance area,” Stewart said. “I think there were four people here” at the central attendance presentation.

The parents and others learned what students are learning — to be prepared to defend themselves if there is ever an armed intruder in their schools.

“This is real-life training for real-life situations,” City of Warren Police Chief Brandon Deppen said. “We don’t want them to go in and sit underneath their desks. We want them to be ready to defend themselves.”

The district’s ALICE trainers demonstrated the barricading that students have learned about. In less than 30 seconds, the group used the items in their “room” on the stage to prevent City of Police Officer A.J. Foriska from getting through their door.

The students, staff, and community can prepare to act if there ever is a local active shooter situation.

But they can’t know exactly what would happen, where, or when.

“If we could plan this, I’d be here to make it stop,” Deppen said.

There is a way to prevent dangerous situations.

“We stop this with offense,” Deppen said.

The offense is recognizing the signs and responding to them.

“We just had it — we had three of them, unfortunately,” he said. “Why did it stop? Because someone reported it.”

On Tuesday, threats were reported at three different district schools. While officials are not saying that any of the students making those threats would have taken the next steps to action, reporting the threats was an act of offense.

Deppen said Pennsylvania State Police have a mandate to visit each of the schools every day. The City of Warren Police has the same rule. “This is my school,” Deppen said. “It is my mandate to have an officer in this school every day.”

City of Warren Police Sgt. Joe Sproveri spoke to the group about the recent shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Many people raised their hands when he asked if anyone was genuinely concerned about the police response in that incident.

“I wanted to come up here and erase any of that doubt,” he said. “That’s not how it would happen here.”

He said local officers are trained to handle an active shooter situation much differently than it was handled in Parkland.

Officials had planned for a one-hour event.

Those in attendance asked many questions and there were still about 50 people left at 9 p.m.

Fire alarm

The district has changed its procedures and now notifies teachers of all planned fire alarms. They are instructed not to immediately leave the building when unannounced fire alarms happen, Stewart said. “Our schools are not going to burn down in the minute-42 that it takes us to get students out of them.

Substitutes

The district is working on ways to inform substitutes of the particulars of the procedures at different buildings. Giving each substitute a backpack at the beginning of the day was one possibility.

Exterior doors

“During the day, the doors are all locked,” Stewart said. But, anyone who notices a door propped open or otherwise unclosed is encouraged to notify the school immediately. “If you see something, say something.”

Armed officials

The schools are currently “gun-free” zones according to Stewart.

The idea of having someone armed in each building is “a very heavy question,” Deppen said. “My feeling is educators need to educate. Police need to police.”

“It would have to be the right person,” he said.

Fear

“Our goal is not to scare kids,” Stewart said. “The kids are scared. People are scared. I can’t put my head in the sand. We have to practice. If it does happen, they need to be ready.”

Peace of mind

After the presentation, one of those in attendance said his fears had been somewhat allayed by the efforts of the district and law enforcement. “It gives me a little peace of mind,” he said. “I commend you guys. Thank you.”

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