Sheriff’s Office Runs Active Shooter Drill at High School
Photo by Lydia Berglar – Taken during the second scenario, a deputy jumped over an injured student to exchange fire with the gunman in the cafeteria.
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
On the morning of August 3, the Dade County Sheriff’s Office, along with several representatives from the Trenton City Police Department, conducted two active shooter drills at Dade County High School.
Teachers and staff met beforehand to review protocol. After teachers in the relevant areas activated the alarm system, they remained on lockdown until the all clear was given.
Children of several officers acted as victims, and some officers actively participated while others observed. Supervisors debriefed the scenarios with deputies afterward.
Participating deputies were not told ahead of time how many intruders/active shooters needed to be found. They arrived at the scenes in intervals, as if they had received the call while in various locations of the county. Officers practiced communicating in real time during the drills, and both officers and acting gunmen fired blanks.
Chief Deputy Tommy Bradford said, “We try to make it as realistic as possible, but we also know that a real situation would be chaotic.” He explained that in addition to helping officers prepare for scenarios they may need to respond to, the scenarios help the department and school test the security system.
The first scenario occurred in D Hall, ending in a classroom with the gunman detained by deputies. The second scenario occurred in the cafeteria, with two gunmen and deputies exchanging fire before the gunmen were taken down.