We use to have annual MCI drills typically involving fallen aircraft type scenarios. We had a couple that were WMD types though. The one that kinda touches on the adverse feelings about doing frightening drills in schools though was the year we did the fake car wreck in front of the school. A couple of cooperative and sworn to secrecy students were placed in a wreckage of a car wrapped around a telephone pole. Appropriately gory make up effects were applied and our house and another's rescue unit were all there, lights going, tape surrounding the scene all working diligently to extract the mortally wounded passengers as the kids and teachers started to arrive. It had the anticipated horrifying affect and the unanticipated complaints from parents and teachers quelling any future scare tactics.howdy wrote:I took part as an EMS respondent in one at a local high school on a Saturday. There were no kids involved. It was a learning experinence in several ways. The Principal wanted to be in charge of the school and the school Nurse wanted to be in charge of the medical response. The Principal was trying to order the LEOs around (that went over like a lead balloon) and the nurse did not know about triage. Our first job on scene is to assess the situation and she was trying to tell us how to do our jobs. Also, as we (EMS) entered the building, a "bomb" went off taking out 3/4 of the EMS responders. Our high schools are huge and it would be very difficult to engage a determined active shooter. The article was telling in that any student caught in the hall WILL NOT be let into a classroom. They must fend for themself.
A more effective way would be like other drills, where initially a training drill is set up and plans are exercised. THEN if you want an unannounced drill, have a "bad guy" come in with a training weapon and then the teachers activate the plan. Even in the military, alert actions were announced with "This is a Drill" with the exception of deployment drills and even then once all personnel are assembled, the "stand down" announcement was given. I could always tell it was a drill because I was issued an M-16 at the armory. The times I drew the 1911 instead I knew we were for real.