Recently, during a high school drill for shooter in Indiana, teachers were shot with pellet guns. We were not there to witness this incident. However, this brings up an important fact when assessing active shooter training programs.
All active shooter training is not equal.
“At Guardian Defense, we believe that invoking fear is the complete opposite of what we want to accomplish in our training. We want to make the situation as realistic as possible while promoting empowerment and confidence.”
– Steve Smith, Co-Founder and President, Guardian Defense
What Can We Learn From This Event: “High School Drill for Shooter in Indiana?”
“High school drill for shooter in Indiana” is currently a top phrase searched for on Google. Guardian Defense discusses the importance of running effective active shooter training drills for teachers and school staff.
The Importance of Appropriate and Effective School Drills
Training and drills are only effective when facilitated correctly. We highlight what to look for in a professional company or police department here:
- Instructors oversee and model school drill facilitation, rather than tell you how to do it.
- Instructors provide on-site programming by trained professionals in the area of threat response, rather than online active shooter training.
- Drill facilitation occurs by trained instructors, rather than those civilians “certified” in a one, two, or three day “train-the-trainer” model sometimes offered by companies in this field.
- School drill facilitation models the 9 Tips for Effective Staff Exercises, rather than have no direct purpose behind them.
Preventing Participant Traumatization
It is crucial to ensure active shooter training and school drills DO NOT invoke fear in the participants. Conducting school drills with students and staff can be traumatizing if you do not orchestrate them properly.
We recently shared a post from a school counselor’s perspective on this: A School Counselor’s Take on Lockdowns and Emotional Distress. As our active shooter training instructors say, “We do not want to create training scars.” Possibly, some teachers who participated in the Indiana active shooter drill will have a lot to overcome from this experience.
Our Unique Active Shooter Training Approach
At Guardian Defense,
- We provide your organization with a comprehensive active shooter training program that includes;
- written policies
- empowering active shooter training, and
- assistance with school drills.
- Our instructors are experts in the field and have been trained in teaching effective response options.
- Our instructors teach you in-person and will be with you every step of the way to answer questions and listen to concerns.
- Lastly, our experts will return to your organization or school and help you run your first school lockdown drill.
Are You Choosing the Right Active Shooter Training?
We recommend researching the right active shooter training for your organization or school. All active shooter training programs are not equal. Learn more about choosing the right training for your organization.
In Conclusion,
The questionable facilitation of the active shooter drill at an Indiana high school, is an important learning tool. Active shooter training programs should make teachers and students feel protected. Yet, this seems contrary to what happened in this particular incident. Lastly, it is important to understand that effective and appropriate drill exercises will prevent trauma and lead to success.
Comprehensive and well-rounded program, such as the ones offered at Guardian Defense will safeguard your most valuable assets: your students and employees.
To learn more about running school drills in an age-appropriate and effective manner, please call us TODAY at (954) 654-8912, or schedule your FREE Consultation!
