NORMAN — Area law enforcement officers and public school administrators came together for two days this week to practice what to do in a crisis involving people armed with guns.
The role-playing exercise at Moore Norman Technology Center put first-responders from Cleveland and McClain counties in simulated school situations to learn how to isolate, distract and/or neutralize potential shooters.
The first responders in such a crisis would be police officers, sheriff's deputies and SWAT teams, as well as school administrators and principals, along with public information officers for both law enforcement agencies and school districts, said Jerry McConnell, facilities director for the Moore Norman Technology Center.
The rapid-response training provided by the state Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training especially helped school officials gain survival techniques for crisis situations, McConnell said.
“Schools may not realize they are especially vulnerable to an in intruder, and this type of preparation is so valuable for staff members, but especially for administrators,” he said.
School officials from the Norman and Purcell school districts participated in the training Monday and Tuesday in the technology center's new conference center on its Franklin Road campus.
