School Receives Training in Dealing with Threats

EAGLEVILLE, MO — Teachers, school administrators and staff from several area school districts received training in how to avoid a Sandy Hook-type tragedy during a training session conducted at North Harrison High School. Officers from Strategos International worked with the school personnel on tactics to deal with an armed intruder. At the same time, officers from the sheriff’s department, the Bethany Police Department, and the Department of Conservation received training on how to protect children and teachers in the event that an armed person breaks into a classroom. Bill Oliver, an instructor for Strategos and a highway patrolman, demonstrated how teachers could barricade their doors to prevent armed intruders from gaining entrance to their classroom. He advised the teachers to keep doors locked during class and to take other precautions to deal with the possibility of threats. In a case where a threat occurs, teachers should immediatly secure the door and take attendance. A code should be devised to signal the all-clear when the building has been secured. Lockdown measures are designed to buy time until authorities are able to respond to the emergency.