Cody Middle School Undergoes Lockdown Drill This Morning
Written by Andrew-Rossi on February 25, 2022
Cody Middle School students and staff will spend Friday morning conducting an in-school lockdown drill in conjunction with the Cody Police Department.
Lockdown drills prepare students for crises when evacuation from a school is not an option.
According to Very Well Family, lockdown and evacuation drills are two separate concepts.
Evacuation drills prepare students, teachers, administrators, and school staff to leave the building quickly and in a pre-planned and organized fashion. For dangers like a bomb threat, getting outside the school is safer than staying inside.
In a lockdown drill, students clear the halls and report to the nearest available classroom, where they hide and stay as silent as possible. These drills are usually designed and implemented with input and assistance from local law enforcement officials.
The most obvious scenario where a lockdown drill is necessary is during an active shooter situation. Education Week reports 34 school shootings in 2021, and there have been 92 shootings since 2018.
Most schools follow similar procedures for lockdown drills.
- Doors to classrooms are closed and locked.
- Students are moved to the safest part of the room, away from windows and doors, to the interior walls.
- Everyone drops to the floor or out of the line of vision from the door.
- Window shades are pulled down.
- Any windows in doors are covered (to prevent an intruder from seeing into the room).
- Classroom lights are turned off.
Cody Middle School is not mandated to practice lockdown drills, but it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to student safety.
The Wyoming Department of Education does not require any state public school to practice lockdown drills every year. By contrast, state schools must conduct a fire drill at least once a month during the school year.
Despite the lack of a real threat, lockdown drills may cause fear and anxiety in children. Parents are encouraged to engage with their kids to hear their concerns and reaffirm their safety.
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