"Do something" message for dealing with an active shooter

SEELEY LAKE – On Aug. 26 the otherwise quiet halls of Seeley Lake Elementary school were filled with the sound of an air horn. More than 30 teachers and staff from Seeley Lake Elementary and Swan Valley Schools hid themselves in the two junior high classrooms in preparation for an active shooter drill where there were told they could do nothing but hide.

Swan Valley School teacher Chris Maudlin had 60 seconds to hit as many people as he could with ping pong balls. He methodically moved through the two rooms and hit more than 95 percent of the participants.

This was the first drill in a series during the recent Active Shooter Training at SLE. The "secure in place" strategy was taught to schools with the understanding that finding a place to hide was the best chance of survival.

"That is not what happens," said Missoula County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Robert Parcell who attended with other local law enforcement and emergency personnel. "The bad guys are using that so now we learn to have some kind of response. Any [response] is better than nothing."

Local law enforcement has been putting on active shooter training at area schools for many years. When Schrock started as superintendent he asked the teachers what kind of training they wanted. Since the Active Shooter training hadn't been done recently and teachers showed interest, Schrock invited his colleague Gordon Hahn, a retired Montana superintendent and active shooter trainer, to provide the training.

"It will provide an opportunity for questions and answers and change the mindset from being a sitting duck to being proactive as a school ensuring our kid's [and staff's] safety," Schrock told the SLE School Board at their August meeting. He added this training will be the spring board for further discussion and developing protocols and a "play book" for various situations that will be added to the school's safety plan.

Taking a proactive approach to dealing with a shooter in public facilities has been a hard lesson to learn after several schools and other mass shootings in public facilities.

The deadliest school shooting in United States history occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, 2012. Of the 26 fatalities, 14 occurred in one classroom where the teacher had gathered all of her students together and was trying to hide them in the bathroom. Many other school shootings report teachers and students hiding under desks and in closets where Hahn called them "sitting ducks."

Parcell, after the presentation, said a shooter can get into anything eventually, but hiding behind a door or closet made of wood will not stop a bullet.

"When faced with danger you must do something. It doesn't matter what facility you are in [whether you are in school, Walmart, the airport, a restaurant]," said Hahn. "Don't be passive about this stuff because there is always something you can do."

"You get one chance," added Schrock. "We as a team have the ability to do what needs to be done to work together for the benefit of our kids, this school and this school community."

SLE fourth grade teacher Chantel Thornsberry said the possibility of a school shooting is an issue that can not be ignored. While SLE has had the training in the past, there were new teachers who hadn't received training in the new proactive philosophy and for everyone else it was a good refresher.

Julee Samuli is a new substitute teacher at SLE this year. She said this is a new train of thought from the old "duck and cover" mentality that was taught for so many years.

"It is very beneficial to give us skills and ideas and then to work through them [doing drills] to give us a better idea of how to keep the kids and our colleagues protected," said Samuli. "New ideas, new tactics, every little bit helps so we can be active and proactive."

Law enforcement reminds everyone how important it is to have a plan and be prepared.

Parcell said, "We hope it will never happen but if you aren't prepared to take action, then you think you only have one option, to freeze. Gordon said it, do something."