The overview
As part of the presentation, AISD’s police department discussed the three stages of disaster response:
- Denial: people want to believe the sound of gunshots are fireworks
- Deliberation: fear sets in
- Decision: people must decide whether to avoid, or leave as soon as possible; deny, or lock doors, turn lights off and remain out of sight; or defend, fight and position to grab the weapon
“The number of deaths is directly related to how quickly [law enforcement] arrives and how you present yourself as a target,” Davis said during the presentation.
Once law enforcement arrives at the active shooting scene, Davis said it’s important to follow commands, show hand palms and not move.
What else?
AISD’s police department also presented protocols at the district to follow during an incident:
- Hold: disturbance outside of classroom
- Secure: disturbance outside of school
- Lockdown: lock, lights, out of sight
- Evacuate: fires
- Shelter: weather, such as a tornado
There are three officers at every high school, except for Alvin High School, which has four; one officer for every junior high school; and one officer for every two elementary schools, Davis said.
Davis also discussed requirements teachers must follow to ensure safety in the classroom:
- No doors are allowed to be propped open
- Magnets on door locks have been removed, as it requires an extra step if an emergency occurs
AISD’s police department also discussed the importance of informing children on gun safety and to review scenarios in case an active shooting event happens.
“I think as parents, as adults, I think it's incumbent upon us to tell our families to think about these things. What would you do in the event of something happening?” Davis said. “If you script something, or thought something through before something happens, the likelihood is you're going to be more calm and less panicky and therefore make the right decisions.”
AISD Sergeant Carrie Martin noted it’s also important to discuss gun safety with children.
To learn more about gun safety, visit www.projectchildsafe.org, or visit the district’s police department’s website for more resources on how to inform children on gun safety.
More details
AISD’s police department will host another CRASE presentation from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 30 at Shadow Creek High School, according to the district’s website.
The presentation is free to the public. Those interested can register through bit.ly/4ep6TFh.
