Drill At Shaler H.S. Simulates Active Shooter Situation, Aims To Protect Students
SHALER TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Police cruisers lined up at a local high school Saturday afternoon to participate in a life-like emergency drill.
It happened at Shaler Area High School under the guidance of John Sakoian, owner of Command Excellence, a crisis safety consulting company.
Sakoian's firm trains schools, universities and businesses.
"We have to be prepared to prevent and be able to respond to any violent episode," Sakoian said.
In Saturday's drill, a student brings a 'gun' into the school, prompting an immediate lockdown.
The Shaler Township Police Department, along with other local-trained police officers came together to go through the steps of what would happen should the situation be real.
Shaler Area High School Principal, Dr. Timothy Royall, participated in the drill and said it's a safety measure that served as a serious reality check.
"It's frightening. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think that today could be the day," Royall said.
Student volunteers pretended to hide in classrooms while the lockdown drill took place.
The training exercise was filmed to be used as a training tool later.
It's a cutting edge way to trace the unthinkable steps of terror.
School administrators say teachers will view the training video in mid-June.
After that, they'll have discussions and also have mock scenarios themselves.
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