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Simulated Shooting Drill Held in Lackawanna County
Simulated Shooting Drill Held in Lackawanna County - Friday, October 23, 2009 at 6:18PM EST
Reported by: Eric Deabill
Friday, Oct 23, 2009 @ 06:18pm EDT
ARCHBALD, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - A tragic scenario played out inside a Lackawanna County high school Friday afternoon. Gunmen took over the school and police were called in. The good thing was... the event was just a drill.
The mock scenario was set-up at a teaching tool for both educators and police. Teachers learned what to do if there was ever a school shooting, while police put their prior training into action.
"It's very overwhelming. It makes something that you're very fearful of a reality," guidance counselor Susan Rodway said.
Several different drills were held Friday. Even the toughest in the crowd called the simulation unsettling.
"I think the most frightening thing was the gunshots. I don't think you can ever prepare for that," physical education teacher Jason Munley said.
Everyone who took part in the simulated drill said it was time well spent. It also opened the lines of communication.
"The police are learning. We're learning from our mistakes. We're learning the layout of the school district. We have a lot of new police officers," Archbald police chief Tim Trently said.
Many of the teachers stayed in their classrooms after each drill. They were told not to open their classrooms until the SWAT Teams arrived.
"It was terrifying not knowing. The anxiety of not knowing. The fear of waiting for something to happen was really terrible," hall monitor Ann Naticchi said.
While everyone involved hopes scenarios like the ones that played out Friday never happen, they all know they need to be prepared.
"You think about your classroom, your kids and you want to protect the kids as much as possible," Munley said.
This is the second straight year that the shooting scenario has been practiced in the Valley View School District. | |
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