Prior to the beginning of the school day on Jan. 22, the staff participated in an emergency drill in preparation for an event of an armed intruder. Sheriffs’ vehicles were stationed at the front of the school and students who arrived early were redirected to the amphitheater until the staff drill was complete. During the drill, there was an enactment of what police officers would do during an on-campus shooting. After, the staff members went to the theater for a presentation on dealing with an on-campus shooter.
As the incident in Connecticut remains prevalent in the minds of Diamond Bar High School Administrators, safety precautions are being reinforced. “I [would] say the incident has caused us to reflect on our past practices and prompted us to remind our students and staff of what those practices are,” Principal Catherine Real commented.
In December, an occurrence caused the officials of DBHS to immediately undergo lockdown procedure. It was the Monday after the incident in Connecticut when a suspicious individual dressed in a bullet proof vest, camouflage pants, and carrying a duffel bag was spotted observing students on the playground of Evergreen Elementary.
The sheriff’s department notified Diamond Bar High School officials of the questionable individual and the school quickly was in lockdown mode. After the sheriff’s department took the man into custody, deputies confirmed that the man was a resident of the area and not a threat. Immediately after the temporary lockdown, the school reopened and students returned to their normal bell schedule.
To further reinforce student safety on the campus, a shelter-in-place drill (lockdown drill) took place on Jan. 10. “Within 45-60 seconds, you couldn’t even tell we had school that day—3200 people were behind locked doors, away from windows with the lights off. Sheriff’s deputies, custodians, GLCs, Mr. Terry and I walked around knocking on doors, pulling on door handles, and looking in windows to simulate an armed intruder situation,” Real recalled.
After each drill, Real along with Assistant Principal John Terry debriefs the sheriff’s department. The GLC and administrators are allowed input on ways to improve the drills.
“I have confidence in our staff’s reaction and cooperation with our drills, their response during actual lockdown events and their dedication to student safety,” Real commented.
The sheriff’s department visited each campus in the district to establish communication with each site’s principal. “We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with the [sheriff’s] department,” Real said. To improve the school’s protocol, the Sheriff’s department often takes part in drills to ensure the safety of students and staff members.
