In an emergency, students, listen to your teachers; parents, talk to your children now

EDITOR:
After reading a letter to the editor in last Sunday's Vindicator, I felt compelled to write. In "Students: If a gunman is in your school, save yourselves," the writer, who claimed to have 6 years experience as an Army MP and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, criticized his 17 year-old daughter's school emergency policies.
These policies require classrooms to be locked and students to follow specific directions in the case of an emergency, such as an intruder in the school. The writer suggested that his daughter and other students disregard the established school safety procedures and "fight for their life or run for their life." This is a very dangerous and irresponsible thing to suggest.
I am a 20-year police veteran, also with a bachelor's and master's degree in criminal justice. More importantly, I have extensive training in school safety and security issues and have worked in the schools for the past five years as a school resource officer. I have also been involved in creating, evaluating and reviewing school safety plans and procedures.
In his letter, the previous writer "assured" readers that three things would not occur in a school shooting situation like the one at Virginia Tech. First, he claimed that, "police will not get there in time to save you." This simply is not true.
Second, the writer claimed that, "a trusted adult will not be able to save you." This also is not true. In the Virginia Tech incident, a "trusted adult," a professor, held a classroom door closed as the shooter tried to force his way inside and students jumped from the classroom windows to safety. This teacher sacrificed his life while saving the lives of many students. In many of the tragic school shootings that has occurred in our country, teachers, administrators and other adults have in fact done heroic things and sometimes given their own lives to save others.
And third, the writer assured readers that, "God will not be able to save you." Well, I simply do not agree, again, but that's another debate.
The portion of the writer's letter that I take the most exception with is his last paragraph, "Students, if you are placed in a situation like Virginia Tech, fight for your life or run for your life. Your government-run local law enforcement agency will be securing a perimeter around the area for at least 30 minutes before they even enter the building and you are on your own until then. It's not personal, it's policy." In fact, police officers in the Mahoning Valley and across the country regularly train on how to respond to these types of calls. In a situation where there is an active threat or shooter in a school, or any other type of building, it is standard police procedure and practice for the first responding officers to enter, locate and stop the threat.
There is definitely a time and place in many life and death situations where an individual may have to take drastic measures to survive, i.e. "fight or flight." However, imagine the chaos if hundreds of students decided to ignore established school safety plans. All schools are required to have and practice safety plans and all parents should instruct their children to follow these plans and the directions given by school staff during any type of school emergency.
A final suggestion for parents is to talk with your sons and daughters about the recent school violence. One thing that the past school shootings have taught us is that students need to understand the importance of telling school officials and authorities should they ever hear another student or person talk about harming someone or committing an act of violence.
Sgt. CHUCK HILLMAN
Boardman