High School Lockdown Today

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Not like when we went to school...huh?

Dunno about you but at my High School we had bomb threats all the time - but it was from the budding middle eastern terrorist of the 80's and the jackbutts like Red Army Faction... That, and bomb threat drills (much like fire drills)

I've seen a high school lockdown drills in recent years - the school department did do not have the best plan or execution - at least from the security perspective.

[Flaptail]

We have been through the same thing here where I work several times. A note dropped in the hallway, something written on a boys room wall or a phone call.

By Massachusetts law we now have a masterplan for emergencies and all the administrators, including myself have been extensively trained by the local police departments and have attended all the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency training courses and are certified along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well (MA is way better at it than they are)

We hold lockdown drills even going to the extreme with several local police departments, the State Police and swat team from Connecticut and Rhode Island particpating in one memorable all day exercise with hostage taking and firing or actual weapons with blanks in the school. (One door was fired at and the blank from the 9mm shattered the glass as it was to close)

Scared the bejesuz out of the kids and staff and made them all realize what the dangers out there really are. Our security is very very tight when school is in session.

It's too bad but it's a reality we have to deal with in an open society where gun control for illegal weapons and tracking of those weapons, perverts and kids whose parents depend on the schools to discipline thier kids rather than taking responsibility and being a parent is in such a shambles.

( I am not anti-gun, responsible gun owners are not the problem it's the stuff kidz get illegally, how easy it is to get them and how many there are actually on the street that needs to be addressed.)

I never thought of working in schools as a dangerous occupation but it is a real viable threat and you can never know what is going through a 16 year old's mind. Sad really.

[Swimmer]

We've had several drills prior to this occurring for real. Kid/perps parents don't have a nickel to thier name. The parents are the real problem like a couple of other post said. I don't think many people showed up to try and get thier kids out, but some did. They wouldn't have been allowed to thier child anyway. Once that starts happening, kids disappearing from secure areas inside or out, then keeping track of all of them would be impossible. Some people are incredibly self-centered anyway. When given an oportunity to shine during one of these events to a self-absorbed person ist akin to having hollywood calling. Get all dolled up for the media present. Flap could tell us more than I on this. He is inside everyday............like a corrections officer somedays I'm sure. I think overall it went well. Thier was one problem with what bomb squad was in charge. The partner town in this I guess always calls the MBTA bomb squad and we call the S.P.'s. It is a huge friekin school. It was nice that we had a few calls after the fact, from parents, saying they thought we did a great job.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

We've had several drills prior to this occurring for real. Kids parents don't have a nickel to thier name. The parent are the real problem like a couple of other post said. I don't think many people showed up. They wouldn't have been allowed to thier child anyway. Once that starts happening, kids disappearing from secure areas inside or out, then keeping track of all of them would be impossible. Some people are incredibly self-centered anyway. When given an oportunity to shine during one of these events to a self person it akin to having hollywood calling. Get all dolled up for the media present. Flap could tell us more than I on this. He is inside everyday............like a corrections officer somedays I'm sure. I think overall it went well. Thier was one problem with what bomb squad was in charge. The partner town in this I guess always calls the MBTA bomb squad and we call the S.P.'s. It is a huge friekin school.

Parents are not allowed access to thier kids when evacuation is nescesary. All the kids at whatever of the 6 schools we have during an incident are bussed to reunion centers off campus. Also, if this happens say at ten in the morning we hold the kids until regualr dismissal time. This does two things, one it makes it easier to account for the children during a prolonged incident and subsequent on scene investigation and two, especially at a junior or high school level the perps in a call in threat are usually among the kids retained and it often results in a solid tip leading to the perp because the other kids are pissed off that they had to wait all day in another place, were not allowed to mingle or talk to each other or most important get out early. Deprevation of social interaction in an unfamiliar and purposely uncomfortable place of teenagers tends to get them really mad at whover was stupid enough to trigger an event an the idiot that did it will always boast and therfore always get caught. Works great.

[Rappin Mikey]

I am a counselor in one of those schools.

[Jimbo]

We've had two bomb threats within a week of each other in our middle school recently, but our kids have been well trained in 'stranger alerts" (same process for bomb scares) and take them seriously. Both times we were later informed that teachers and administrators were amazed at the speed in which the evacuation took place. Kids up and go, leaving everything behind, walking to the high school nearby. They also installed an automated call system to alert parents just about the time they take place.
In the first case the kid wrote his threat on a bathroom stall with a marker and it took police and teacher staff about an hour to put together hall passes and writing analysis and they nabbed the kid. The other case was called in and they somehow figured that out quickly. They take this stuff very seriously here. I'm not happy with a lot as far as modern schooling goes, but the way they deal with crime in our schools I'm really proud of.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Rappin Mikey

I am a counselor in one of those schools.

I am sure some days are very difficult for you. Good luck.

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by Rappin Mikey

I am a counselor in one of those schools.

God bless you Mikey, I went to one of those schools...until they threw me out ...

[Rappin Mikey]

One of my new students (it was his third day yesterday) got jumped by three other students on his way home yesterday. They stabbed him in the back. I know he made it to the hospital, but I haven't heard anything more. I coach the basketball team too. We play other alternative schools in the area. Our games are during the school day and are an incentive for students that are maintaining level in our behavior modification system. Anyway, this kid had dropped 20 points and grabbed around 15 boards. The last time I saw him he was walking out of school with a big smile on his face. I hope he's OK. I'm pretty sure it was gang thing. The Latin Kings and La Familia are feuding pretty bad in Holyoke these days.

[chris L]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Dunno about you but at my High School we had bomb threats all the time - but it was from the budding middle eastern terrorist of the 80's and the jackbutts like Red Army Faction... That, and bomb threat drills (much like fire drills)

I've seen a high school lockdown drills in recent years - the school department did do not have the best plan or execution - at least from the security perspective.

john
RAF (Baader-Meinhof Group) blew up the post office on my base after I left in 81 and the PX in like 84 .