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Columbiana students run halls with hands up for safety drill
COLUMBIANA
Joshua Dixon Elementary Principal Kim Sharshan received a surprise during an emergency drill Tuesday.
“Drills are critical as they provide the practice for administrators, staff, and students so they can respond appropriately in emergency situations,” she said.
A drill is required at every school in the country each year, she explained.
The school’s drill is integrated with the city’s police department to ensure the school is prepared.
Drills at the district’s junior and senior high schools are done separately.
Today’s drill was based on an intruder’s being inside the school. Det. Wade Boley and Officer Richard Whitfield of the Columbiana police checked each classroom. Boley would give signal and would go into the classroom to make sure everything was fine.
Then Boley would have students in each class run down the hallway, through doors and outside to play. But Boley had the children run with their hands up, which was not a problem for the smiling children.
Sharshan was surprised by the upraised hands.
The detective explained that police are asking youngsters to raise their hands in such drills to help authorities in the future.
“Police want to see people with their hands up,” he said.
The idea is that over the years, he said, students would become adults and would simply respond to the police request.
He said to one boy, “We know you are a good guy, and not a bad guy.”
Sharshan said that the idea of a lockdown and hostile intruders can be frightening.
“However, explaining to parents, students, and staff why nothing was in place to save lives after an event is an even harder topic,” she added.