Opinion

Training for the unthinkable

Saturday, September 28, 2013
Vernon County Sheriffs Deputtes conducting active shooter trainer at the Nevada Regional Techinical Center Friday morning. Submitted photo.

This week, deputies from the Vernon County Sheriff's Office took part in active shooter training at the Nevada Regional Technical Center building in Nevada. This was the third time deputies have attended this type of training this year. Active shooter training is often overlooked because it is not something we deal with every day, and something we hope never to deal with. However, Jesse Owens, one of America's best-remembered athletes, said "A lifetime of training for just 10 seconds." That is exactly what active shooter training is -- training for something that could take place in seconds.

When you walk through a school it is very clear that a lot of thought was put into some of the safety features they have. There are fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers, and some are built to withstand earthquakes, tornados and other natural disasters. However, when it comes to preparing for active shooters, we have fallen short. Part of this is because this type of threat is greater now than it was in the past, and part of it is because no one wants to believe this will ever happen in their community, and it is easy to put off. I remember doing tornado drills in school, and having Smokey the Bear talk about fires. School is where you learn to, "stop, drop, and roll," and to crawl under the smoke. What I do not remember learning is what I should do if someone came in and started shooting!

The Vernon County Sheriff's Office, as well as the schools in Vernon County have recognized that this type of threat is something that we should be prepared for and train for on a regular basis. On Friday, Sheriff's deputies trained for such an incident along with teachers from the Nevada schools. Instructors from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Sheriff's Office were part of the planning and organizing of the training, along with the school staff. I think this training is something that should be done as often as a fire or tornado drill. Some schools have started adding additional security like locking doors, and adding surveillance cameras so halls and entrances can be monitored. There is nothing more valuable and worth protecting than our children, and the teachers who we have been working with are very eager to learn what they can do to keep the children in their schools safe if the unthinkable ever does occur. It is our goal to help each school in Vernon County receive as much training as possible on a consistent and regular basis.