Peters Township High School stages safety drill
Officers from several area police departments participated in the safety drill at Peters Township High School.
The Washington County Department of Public Safety command vehicle was at the scene.
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Volunteers simulate fleeing from the building.
Police officers from Upper St. Clair are stationed near the high school stadium.
Participants in the drill listen to a briefing.
A police officer stands guard at the high school stadium.
Months of planning culminated in an Oct. 26 safety drill during an in-service day at Peters Township High School.
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Participants in the drill exit the building as instructed.
The effort involved police from several municipalities and other emergency responders, along with school district administrators, faculty and staff members, and selected students and volunteers from the community.
“The benefit of this is for us to work out any kinks and look for any improvements before we actually have an incident,” school Superintendent Jeannine French explained. “The preparation and collaboration with the different police departments, EMS and fire have really helped us in terms of our planning.”
The drill consisted of two simulations involving an active shooter, with three groups of participants stationed in various parts of the building. Peters Township police Sgt. Matthew Collins, the drill’s lead organizer, provided detailed instructions on how to proceed.
“Group No. 2 will be at the bottom of the stairs, just standing by. There’s a piece of tape everywhere I need you for now, and we will tell you exactly what you’re going to do when we get to your group.”
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Police officers proceed with caution during the drill.
Some participants were designated to act as if they were injured and unable to leave the building. Others exited and proceeded to a reunification area set up at the high school stadium.
Pellet guns, airsoft rifles and police officers’ firearms were involved in the drill.
“We’ve checked them and double-checked them and triple-checked them to make sure that they cannot fire,” Collins assured participants beforehand. “So don’t be afraid of those.”
Some participants wore body cameras to record the proceedings, as did a student stationed outside the school’s front entrance using Peters Township Community Television equipment. The footage will be used as part of the evaluation of what transpired during the day.
School district communications coordinator Shelly Belcher took an active role in the drill.
“I was in an office working on how I would communicate with parents or media, and telling parents where they would be able to pick up their children,” she said, noting the participation of other district employees.
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Police, firefighters and emergency services personnel receive instruction outside the school.
“We had our maintenance staff and custodial staff helping if there was something that would be needed on that side,” she explained. “We had administrators worrying about reunification and how we’d account for the children, and safely and effectively get them back to their parents. We had technology involved, working on the surveillance system to help first responders be able to see inside the school quickly.”
Peters Township police Chief Douglas Grimes complimented Collins on his organizational efforts.
“He did a lot of work in planning this, putting it all together,” Grimes said.
“It was very well-organized, and I think we’re going to benefit tremendously from that effort.”
French said she thought the drill went smoothly.
“We’re going to practice every opportunity we get,” she said, “and as things evolve, we’re going to get better every time that we engage with our first responders, our police and each other in these simulated events.”
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Sgt. Matt Collins gives instructions prior to the drill.