Shelby County Schools leaders participate in active shooter training

The Shelby County School District recently partnered with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department to provide an active shooter training workshop for School Resource Officers, administrators and teachers who serve on their local school safety teams.

The training was held at Forest Oaks Elementary School in June. Topics covered included defining the role of School Resource Officers, reviewing current trends in school safety, and reviewing active shooter profiles. 

The Sheriff’s Department showed participants the “Run! Hide! Fight!” video produced by the Houston Police Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which highlights ways to handle an active shooter crisis. The video encourages those who find themselves in an active shooter situation to evacuate the building and run to safety (if possible), find a safe place to hide if they are unable to evacuate or, as a very last resort, defend themselves and try to take out the shooter.

The active shooter training was part of the Shelby County Schools’ Safe Schools Initiative, a comprehensive school safety plan that includes training for school personnel, along with partnerships with local law enforcements agencies, review of school building architecture, and development of school and district safety plans.

In addition to the training workshop, the school district is also working to renew all of the partnership agreements with local municipalities and the Shelby County Commission to provide an increased law enforcement presence at all Shelby County Schools. According to Dr. Lewis Brooks, assistant superintendent of administration and pupil services, security improvements are also being made to front entrances and offices at schools throughout the county. 

-Submitted by Cindy Warner