Columbine 13 Years Later - How Safe is Your Child's School ?

Columbine.

The name itself brings a shudder of horrific remembrance. Two students armed with automatic firearms entered a high school and killed at will before finally taking their own lives. While 12 students and a teacher were massacred, Police sat back behind a defensive perimeter, entering the buiding only when the carnage had ended.

Thirteen years have passed. In that time frame, much has changed. Police are now trained to immediately enter a school where violence is taking place - run to the sounds of gunfire - and eliminate or incapcitate the perpetrator. Schools conduct response Lock Down Drills in order to eliminate targets of opportunity by sheltering in secured rooms and areas while the responding police take out the villain.

Public Schools in the State of Connecticut are mandated by law to have in place set polocies and protocols for responding to acts of violence. That same law requires that schools conduct drills in conjunction with their local Police Department that prepare all should an actual violent act occur.

Parents of Eastern Connecticut - Do you know your own child's school's ability to respond correctly under the most vile of circumstances ? Answer the following questions:

Has your child told you of Emergency Drill training and instructions they received from their teachers? Has your child told you of Emergency Response/Lock Down Drills being held in their school? Have you been informed by your child's school admininistration of Drills to be held or having been held? Can your local Police assure you that they have reviewed and approved the schools' Emergency Response Polocies and Protocols? Can your local Police Department assure you that all of their patrol officers are thoroughly familiar with the floor plans and layouts of all schools in the District? Have your local Police conducted Active Shooter Training in each school in the district? Have you been informed and directed by school administration and Police NOT to drive nor come to the school during an actual emergency so as to not hamper first responders access to the school  and evacuation of injured ?

If you aswered No to any of the questions a red flag of concern should come up followed by an immediate demand of the school or Police to take corrective action. Converesly, if you answered yes to all of the questions send a message of praise and thanks for keeping your child safe.

April 21,2012 marked the 13th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School. In those 13 years, there have been dozens more killings at schools in our Nation. Sadly, there will be more - as a parent do all within your power to assure that the schools in your town are as well prepared as can be - because IT CAN HAPPEN HERE.