Ohio School Shooting: Can It Happen Here?

A third student died today, after the school shooting in Chardon, OH, that shocked the nation yesterday. After a rash of similar incidents over the past years, school districts across the U.S. have put in place dedicated safety policies. Inver Grove Heights is no different.

Much to Simley High School Principal Jerry Sakala’s relief, our community has never experienced anything like what happened in Ohio yesterday. “Obviously we’re concerned and our thoughts are with them,” he said, “But that’s something that we have been lucky enough to avoid. I think every school principal in the state would feel the same way.”

But while hoping for the best, the school district is doing the prudent thing, and preparing for the worst.

The district has a comprehensive crisis management policy in place, that not only deals with shootings, but also with other crises, such as bomb threats, suicides, weather disasters, and chemical or radioactive spills, said Community Coordinator Johnny Germscheid.

“The middle and high school levels conduct security reviews on a monthly basis,” he said. “The district develops building-specific crisis plans for each building. And district officials meet with first responders on an ongoing basis, just to prepare for emergency situations.”

“If a situation like the one in Ohio were to occur in the District here, the building would go into a lockdown,” said Germscheid.

“The doors to all the classrooms are locked by the teachers, the shades are drawn and students are asked to stay away from the windows. No-one is supposed to enter the school building while the doors are locked, unless directed by school administrators. Class may continue, but if a gunshot or an explosion is heard, everyone is supposed to get on the floor. Non-one leaves the area until the administrator issue san all clear over the intercom.”

Inver Grove Heights schools are required to have at least five lockdown drills a year, said Germscheid. Every classroom is equipped with a booklet that outlines the safety procedures for each type of emergency.

Luckily, Germscheid said, none of those scenarios have ever become reality here. “Not that I’m aware of – just practice drills.”