[ back ]
Law agencies test skills in standoff situation
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - May 28, 2009)
Law agencies test skills in standoff situation
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Minus the lights and sirens, law-enforcement agencies from across the area were called to Chardon High School last week for a reported "gunman" in the school.
The absence of the lights and sirens was the giveaway that the massing of police at the school meant it was a drill, rather than the real thing.
But, for all intents and purposes, police and school officials took the matter seriously as a way to better prepare in the event that a real threatening situation arises.
Sheriff Daniel C. McClelland, who observed the evacuation, search, standoff and apprehension of two "gunmen" during the three-hour exercise, said evaluators would grade those involved to ensure that law enforcement is prepared to handle a real threat. "This drill is not to traumatize the students, but to practice the techniques," he said.
Students who might struggle with dealing with the experience were given an excused absence, he said, and officials were prepared to halt the exercise if a real emergency arose.
Students and parents were notified ahead of time of the drill through telephone calls from the sheriff's department and letters from the school.
Mr. McClelland said he was grateful to Chardon school officials, who allowed use of the high school, which added a degree of realism to the day. "The lessons learned here can be used throughout the county," he said.
Ellen Ondrey, school communications director, said students were unaware of what time the drill would take place and the details, such as the shots fired.
The drill began shortly after noon with a "gunman" walking into the school and then into a classroom. A student made his way to the office to report the situation.
From there, police sprang into action with Chardon Police Chief Timothy McKenna and Chief Deputy Scott Hildenbrand, of the sheriff's department, setting up a command post outside the school.
Police from Chardon, Mentor, Chester and the Ohio State Highway Patrol began making their way into the building. Mr. McClelland said all officers had their guns checked and bullets removed before entering the school.
He said, as officers make their way in, they may appear "callous" as they walk past students, who may be lying in the halls injured. But he said their first objective is to find the gunman so that further injuries can be avoided.
Mr. McClelland said some of the techniques were developed after 15 people died in the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. He said initial responders formed a perimeter and waited until the special weapons and tactics teams arrived before entering. "We don't have that luxury," he said.
Within a matter of minutes, police had the first "gunman," but a second "gunman" appeared to have barricaded himself in a classroom with a hostage.
The SWAT team, in a diamond-shaped formation, entered the school to deal with the remaining "gunman," who held one person hostage. Armed with high-tech listening and surveillance equipment, the SWAT team would head negotiations to free the hostage.
For the next two hours, the "gunman" barricaded in a room, played by Chardon Street Supervisor Steven Borawski, held the SWAT team at bay. His hostage was bound in paper towels as Mr. Borawski made demands and told authorities he had gone off his medication.
Mrs. Ondrey said the school has taken its own lessons from a bomb scare about a year ago.
Because many of the students instantly could communicate with parents, many parents began arriving at the school and clogging the side streets. Since then, school officials have taken steps to ensure parents can be kept from the panic of that day.
Also, she said, officials have numbered every door to the school so law enforcement can respond to the proper door if the situation calls for that response.
[ back ]
