Warsaw Schools Preparedness Plan Put Into Action
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw Community Schools' emergency preparedness plan had its first corporation-wide use since 9/11 Wednesday.
According to Warsaw Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire, the Central Office received a report Wednesday that a high school-age boy might be a threat, so a lockdown was initiated in all Warsaw schools.
Later that afternoon, McGuire said, "we determined that the threat was not as imminent as we thought," so the lockdown was canceled and after-school activities even took place.
Warsaw Police Chief Steven C. Foster said Thursday that the Probation Department had called the schools about a boy who previously was expelled from Warsaw Community High School and who had gotten into some trouble with the law. The boy, Foster said, had failed to show up for a court hearing Wednesday, and Probation officials thought he might be a threat.
No one with a weapon was ever at any school, Foster said, and the boy never issued a threat.
The corporation has an emergency preparedness plan, he said, and every school has its own plan as well.
Randy Polston, principal of Harrison Elementary, said the students went to their classrooms and teachers reassured the students that the danger was not in the building and they were safe; the problem was in the community and the police were dealing with it.
Polston also walked through the halls during the lockdown so the students could see him and be reassured that they were OK.
He said he announced the lockdown to the entire school, but not the reason for it.
"I try to keep as much information as possible to staff members only, try not to instill fear," he said.
Harrison Elementary conducts lockdown drills during the school year, Polston said, as well as fire drills and even earthquake drills.
McGuire, who was in Indianapolis at the time but was kept informed of events, said doing more frequent drills is one area where the schools need to concentrate.
He also said, "We need to figure a way to communicate with the staff and community better."
All students were given a flier about the lockdown to take home to their parents Thursday. That flier said: "On Wednesday, 9/15/04, school officials received information concerning a former student. Based on that information, appropriate security measures were put into place. Once school personnel had information that there was no threat, security measures were lifted. The safety and security of all students and staff is always the highest priority for Warsaw Community Schools.
"Given the nature of the world events, we intend to do periodic lock down drills and your student(s) may come home and report that the school was on lock down. Our pledge to you is that any time there is an actual threat, we will communicate that to you in as timely a manner as possible." [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Community Schools' emergency preparedness plan had its first corporation-wide use since 9/11 Wednesday.
According to Warsaw Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire, the Central Office received a report Wednesday that a high school-age boy might be a threat, so a lockdown was initiated in all Warsaw schools.
Later that afternoon, McGuire said, "we determined that the threat was not as imminent as we thought," so the lockdown was canceled and after-school activities even took place.
Warsaw Police Chief Steven C. Foster said Thursday that the Probation Department had called the schools about a boy who previously was expelled from Warsaw Community High School and who had gotten into some trouble with the law. The boy, Foster said, had failed to show up for a court hearing Wednesday, and Probation officials thought he might be a threat.
No one with a weapon was ever at any school, Foster said, and the boy never issued a threat.
The corporation has an emergency preparedness plan, he said, and every school has its own plan as well.
Randy Polston, principal of Harrison Elementary, said the students went to their classrooms and teachers reassured the students that the danger was not in the building and they were safe; the problem was in the community and the police were dealing with it.
Polston also walked through the halls during the lockdown so the students could see him and be reassured that they were OK.
He said he announced the lockdown to the entire school, but not the reason for it.
"I try to keep as much information as possible to staff members only, try not to instill fear," he said.
Harrison Elementary conducts lockdown drills during the school year, Polston said, as well as fire drills and even earthquake drills.
McGuire, who was in Indianapolis at the time but was kept informed of events, said doing more frequent drills is one area where the schools need to concentrate.
He also said, "We need to figure a way to communicate with the staff and community better."
All students were given a flier about the lockdown to take home to their parents Thursday. That flier said: "On Wednesday, 9/15/04, school officials received information concerning a former student. Based on that information, appropriate security measures were put into place. Once school personnel had information that there was no threat, security measures were lifted. The safety and security of all students and staff is always the highest priority for Warsaw Community Schools.
"Given the nature of the world events, we intend to do periodic lock down drills and your student(s) may come home and report that the school was on lock down. Our pledge to you is that any time there is an actual threat, we will communicate that to you in as timely a manner as possible." [[In-content Ad]]