First State educators and law enforcement are proactively preparing for a possible worst case scenario.
The Delaware State Police held a training exercise at the Springer Middle School in North Wilmington to simulate an active shooter scenario Monday.
The simulation involved officers playing the role of active shooters using blank ammunition to accurately depict the sights and sounds of a real shooter for responding officers and teachers.
There were also simulated casualties so that the responding officers could practice tending to the wounded once the shooters had been subdued.
Delaware State Police spokesperson Corporal John Day says there drills are valuable to both officers and teachers.
“Every trooper prepares for an experience like this, as do most teachers," said Day. "But you can never really get the feel of what something like this is like without doing a scenario like this. This gives them a first hand experience as to what a real active shooter could feel and sound like.”
Springer Middle School Assistant Principal Tracy Woodson adds putting their emergency plans to the test is the only way to determine if they are effective.
“We’ll sit back and talk to the teachers, ‘How did it go for you? Do we need to make changes?’ And then we’ll go back as an administrative staff and tweak our own plans," said Woodson. "There is no right or no wrong answer, it’s just how do we better prepare ourselves for something like this if it were to ever occur.”
Cpl. Day notes that these drills involve meticulous planning.
"We have to make sure that all of the school staff is here, that all the role players are prepared, and of course safety is a big deal," said Day. "We need to make sure that the troopers who are responding don't bring in live rounds and know that this is a practice scenario."
This was the fourth active shooter simulation that the Delaware State Police has conducted, while all Brandywine School District schools run lockdown drills three times a year. The drill was conducted during a Professional Work Day so no students were involved.
The majority of Springer Middle School's staff participated in the drill. Other Brandywine School District schools were invited to observe the exercise.