Active Shooter Training Continues For Area Law Enforcement
Law enforcement and Oskaloosa school staff trained for an active shooter situation on Monday. (Mahaska County EMA photo)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Area law enforcement and teachers with the Oskaloosa Elementry School took time on Monday to practice and train in the event of an active shooter.
No students were in school that day, as teachers were finalizing grades for the end of the trimester.
Oskaloosa Police Lieutenant Gary McClun said the opportunity for the police department and the school to train together gave both parties a chance to test policies and implementation of a crisis situation.
McClun said that, for the police department, it also gave them a chance to look at their response and their approach to the school situation, along with practicing deploying teams and addressing a threat.
Last fall, the Oskaloosa Police Department held a similar drill at the Oskaloosa High School.
Lessons learned are that there are challenges and differences with each school building, along with interaction with different staff. “The school has pretty much the same policies for both schools, but the teachers all respond in their own unique way,” added McClun.
Oskaloosa Police Department has several young officers in the department, the training gives them an opportunity to grow their skill and become more comfortable with how the department responds to such a situation.
The training scenario was planned well before the most recent school shooting, spearheaded by Mahaska County Emergency Management.
McClun said those early discussions on the training began at the beginning of the school year, and the dates for training were decided at that point.
For officers, entering a school building in such a fashion can be a surreal experience. “It’s something that hopefully never happens here in Oskaloosa.”
The Oskaloosa Police Department, Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, Mahaska County Emergency Management, Mahaska County 911, Oskaloosa Fire Department, and Mahaska Health Partnership Emergency Services were all part of the training.
