EATON COUNTY, Mich. — Stories of school shootings happening all around the world are no stranger to the news, but we rarely hear about how to prepare for those dangerous situations.
Eaton County Sheriff's Office held an active shooter training at Eaton Rapids middle and high school campus Thursday.
The exercise included multiple law enforcement agencies, the fire department and EMS personnel.
The training touched on topics from how to respond when an active shooter situation arises to how to close down the roads.
The Eaton Rapids superintendent was involved in the active shooter simulation and explained the steps to take when a shooter is present.
"One of the things we learned from the officers was to run, hide, fight," Superintendent of Schools in Eaton Rapids Bill DeFrance said.
"And if you just ingrain that in your thinking and your in a classroom, if you can't run, first thing you do is you hide, you barricade your door, then you look for things you can throw at the shooter, and I think if teachers would just think about that and the kids would think about that, then I think we're going to be as safe as we can be."
The training lasted a full day where they also had about 60 extra volunteer parents and students act out the active shooter scenario.
One of the things DeFrance wants school officials to remember is to have good relationships with the first responders so that their familiar with the school layout, which in return will create a safe community.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.