Rossville: Today the Indiana State Police Lafayette District along with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Frankfort Police Department and the Rossville Town Marshall’s Office held a Safe School/Active Shooter Training session at the Rossville Consolidated School District for all school administrators in the Clinton and Carroll County area. An invitation to attend was also made to area law enforcement agencies, fire departments, EMS, and EMA personnel.
The Safe Schools/Active Shooter training is the result of several months of preparation by Indiana State Police in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Education to provide training for school administrators on the proper response to an active shooter.
The Indiana State Police has been tasked to serve as the lead agency in coordinating active shooter training with local school corporations throughout the entire state. Indiana State Police Superintendent, Douglas Carter with the highest support of Governor Mike Pence, has initiated this active shooter training program for school administrators. One of Superintendent Carter’s and Governor Pence’s highest priorities, after they took office, was to ensure that every effort was made to provide the safest possible environment for all of the children in the State of Indiana.
This coordinated effort was launched early on with the Department of Education to create and implement a statewide training program that would involve all parties responsible for the care and safety of our children. This program, which was already in the developmental stages before the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, has come to be known as the “Safe Schools/Active Shooter” program. Dr. Rich Hogue of the Department of Education has been assigned as a liaison with the Indiana State Police to assist in this endeavor.
The purpose of this program is to educate school administrative personnel on proper response to an active shooter situation, how law enforcement responds to active shooter situations, and what school personnel can do to mitigate injury and the loss of life in an active shooter situation.
The training consists of a power point presentation by troopers along with an active shooter scenario where troopers use blank ammunition in firearms. The scenario is designed to give the administrators a feel of what it might be like during an actual active shooter situation. The shooter methodically walks the hallways shooting random “victims” for several minutes before the first police officers arrive at the scene. Once on scene, officers still urgently and tactically must navigate the school looking for the shooter which can also take several minutes. During the scenario, a trooper narrates the situation as it unfolds and keeps the attendees apprised of the number of minutes that have passed before officers are able to finally confront the shooter and eliminate the threat.
If you are interested in having a Safe School/Active Shooter presentation done at your school or want more information about the program, contact the Public Information Officer at your Indiana State Police Post. To find your local ISP PIO visit http://www.in.gov/isp/2365.htm and click on your county. To find out more about school safety, go to http://www.in.gov/isp/2989.htm and learn more about programs provided by your Indiana State Police.
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Picture is of Trooper Michael Krueger talking with school administrators about safe school.
