Thank you to Local First Responders

Shooters Drill at Juab High School

On January 24th, at Juab high school, from 9:20 to around 10:40 AM, all classes were asked to stay quiet and prepare for a drill, simulating the possibility of a shooter. Many classes were given an injured student to save in hopes to teach them how to help and to have them understand what they needed to do if a student had been shot or seriously injured. With such a scary possibility and the thought that we need to practice this terrifying possibility, we are incredibly grateful for our first responders and their dedication to saving us. As police were taking down the mock shooter and EMTs were helping the injured, you could tell they were committed to rescuing us. They were incredibly calm and prepared for every scenario given within the dozens of classes. 

As students prepare for a scenario we pray will never happen, it’s important that we know what to do. So what is the right thing to do if someone comes into the school with a gun with the idea to hurt? According to Juab’s Emergency Plan which is given to every teacher, the steps to follow when police arrive go as: Remain calm and follow instructions, Put down any items in your hand such as jackets or bags, Raise hands and spread fingers, Keep hands visible at all times, Avoid quick movements toward officers such as holding on to them for safety, Avoid pointing, screaming, or yelling, and do not stop to ask officers for help or directions when evacuating. Steps when you immediately think you hear gunshots or know that a shooter is in the building are in sections of, Run, Hide, Fight. 

Run: Have an escape route and plan in mind, Leave your belongings behind, Keep your hands visible.

Hide: Hide in an area out of shooters view, Block entry to your hiding place and lock doors, Silence your cell phone.

Fight: As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger, Attempt to incapacitate the shooter, Act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter. 

All of this information is crucial when preparing for such a scary possibility. With this information, we’d like to thank our first responders and their bravery and commitment. It is important to thank those who put their lives on the line to protect others and make sure we never have to deal with such a scary situation. Be safe and always thank those with a badge and years of training.