In today’s society things happen that nobody expects. Especially with school shootings so it’s good to be prepared right? With all of the school shootings that are happening like the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. The state has made it mandatory for every school to have an active shooter drill to help prepare staff members if anything were to happen.

  “The state mandates every school in Missouri to practice the active shooter drill to help give us a change and to see if our plan will work. If the plans don’t work then the staff finds a way to pick out what’s wrong and fix it. We learn something from every drill, we always evaluate and make changes if needed to keep everyone safe,” principal Randy Luebbert said.

  The staff have to train with trainers from the Military and Police officers from Benton County so the drill can be as real and professional as possible. The school has been doing this for at least three years now.

  “The trainers were very professional and they were excellent gentlemen to work with,” Luebbert said.  Luebbert thinks that you can never be overly prepared for things like this because shooting can happen anywhere. The active shooter drill took place on Oct. 3rd. It was a very highly paced and real feeling type of drill. The drill included blanks being shot, bombs being placed, and also faculty getting injured.

 “This drill is a great learning experience because it teaches you how to react in the worse case scenarios at school,” history teacher Nathan Parker said.This is his third year of doing the drill and every year he learns something new.

  “If this were to happen at Warsaw, I feel I’d be able to handle it, but I would hope we never have to,” Parker said.

  History teacher Jared Steenburgen came from a military background before coming to Warsaw. Steenburgen’s thoughts on the drill was that

  “It was a very good run through and it lets him and the other staff members to know what’s expected of them,” Steenburgen said.

  Steenburgen feels that a school shooting could happen to Warsaw

 “It could happen anywhere that is vulnerable,” Steenburgen said.

  “It’s sad that we have to have these things in today’s society but it’s also necessary, it’s because it’s too help prepare mentally and visually if anything we’re to really happen.” math teacher Jowell Roellig said. “It’s not just keeping them out, it’s also what would happen if the shooter were to be in your classroom?”

  Scenarios change everyday and Warsaw schools greatly appreciate the drills so that three staff can be prepared and keep every student as safe as possible. The faculty has bats in their classroom and even Roellig has a device to break her window out if needed.