Milan schools conduct armed intruder safety drills
Milan schools conduct armed intruder safety drills
By Steve Short
“High Level Lockdown!”
LOCKDOWN DRILL – Milan Police Officer Nick Roberts proceeded cautiously down the Milan High School hallway with his AR-15 rifle pointed forward during a safety drill last week. He was followed by school Principal Greg Scott, Asst. Principal Jennifer Yates and school system Director Jonathan Criswell. Photo by Steve Short.
That was the command from Milan school administrators to teachers last week as all three city schools conducted safety drills in cooperation with police officers.
Teachers followed safety procedures designed to counter armed intruders. They also reviewed fire safety, CPR techniques, and use of Automatic External Defibrillators.
In the intruder drill at Milan High School, MPD Patrolman Nick Roberts approached the front doors, pointing a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle and entering the building, his rifle aimed forward with every step. Roberts has SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) training.
Police Sgt. Nick Glenn, the School Resource Officer, guided Roberts to different classrooms, where teachers had barricaded doors and were huddled silently inside.
“Police! Police! Police! Where’s the bad guy? Where’s the bad guy?” Glenn shouted. He and Roberts barged into rooms where lights were out. In one room, a teacher held up a stool, ready to knock out anyone who entered. “That made my day,” said Sgt. Glenn during a review of the drill.
Sgt. Glenn, Sgt. Chad Autry and Police Chief Bobby Sellers each conducted drills at schools. Glenn and Autry are armed and stationed at schools every day as SRO officers. They are empowered with arrest capabilities like regular police officers.
After the drills, police and school administrators commended teachers on following safety and communication procedures. “It went great; everybody did a great job,” said police officers.
Sgt. Nick Glenn has studied school shootings in his SRO training. He said high school shootings usually involve students. Aggrieved parents can also perpetrate violent acts.
According to Ballotpedia.com, a summary of gun violence incidents since 1990 in K-12 schools in the South lists 61 incidents, which resulted in 42 fatalities and 89 injuries.
WHERE’S THE BAD GUY? – Sgt. Nick Glenn (middle) and Patrolman Nick Roberts (right) discussed police procedures that would be used if teachers and students experienced an armed intruder in the school building. Photo by Steve Short.
