“They need to hear the sounds.” Emergency responders and school district participate in active shooter scenario.

BLACKFOOT — Faculty and staff at a local school district heard, saw and experienced what an active shooter situation might be like on Friday.

Snake River School District 52 held an active shooter training drill, and they invited local law enforcement and emergency medical personnel to make the demonstration as real as possible.

“With all the active shooters that have been going on across the nation, we like to train and be ready for anything that happens,” said Drew Lusk, a school resource officer at Snake River High School.

The scenario was run at the high school four times, each for about 15 minutes. Law enforcement officers in full gear were stationed at the school, and medical personnel were there with an ambulance and a helicopter.

The training was crucial for everyone involved.

“We are testing a couple of things out,” Lusk said. “Some new equipment to see how it works. It’s practice for us.”

During the scenario, a Blackfoot Police officer walked the halls of the high school pretending to be an active shooter with a gun in his hands. He shot several blanks, yelling, “Where you at? I told you I would be here!” He tried opening doors to see if he could get into classrooms and was able to get into an unlocked classroom.

“Part of our criteria for the school is we want the rooms locked during the school day. (The active shooter in the scenario will) check the doors. He will find and open doors and enter the classroom, and you are going to hear a lot of shots in that classroom. (This) reinforces the, ‘Keep your door locked during the day,’” Lusk said.

Teachers watched the scenario nearby behind police tape and could smell the smoke from the blanks.

Lusk explained that letting the teachers observe the training allows them to become familiar with the sights and sounds of a real active shooting scenario and prepares them for if that ever becomes a reality.

During the scenario, the fire alarms went off in the school as dust fell from the ceiling tiles after several blanks were shot.

A few students participated and played shooting victims. Students who were “shot” were taken by medical personnel to get treated.

Jane Reynolds, the principal at Moreland Elementary School, told EastIdahoNews.com she has come to the active shooter training at least three times.

She still remembers the first time when the training happened in her own school.

“I think that was really scary for me because I have little ones at my building — kindergartners and first graders and to hear that in my building and have that scenario sound and feel so real for me was really difficult,” Reynolds recalls.

Deputies from the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office brought staff to the Snake River High School auditorium after the scenarios to answer questions and concerns. Deputies there said the point of the scenario was not to leave feeling scared but rather be more prepared if something like this were to happen.

“I saw some of the staff tear up just because they realize this could be really bad, and how are we going to feel about our community members, our kids being involved in that?” Reynolds said. “They need to hear the sounds and how loud it is … feel the adrenaline and your heart rate starting up.”

The priority of the Snake River School District participating in this event is the safety of the students, faculty and staff.

Reynolds says the active shooter scenarios have helped her feel more prepared each time she attends.

“I think it’s really important to have the training and these conversations,” she said. “We would like to think this would never happen in our community, but so did several other people that’s been in the news.”

Lusk said the scenarios have been practiced ever since the Columbine High School massacre happened. He explained in the next coming weeks, there will be more training with school staff and teachers. There will additionally be a meeting in November for parents to address their concerns.

“If there are parents out there that want to contact us and ask questions and are worried about their kids at school, have them get a hold of us,” Lusk said.

The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (208) 785-4440.