NEW ORLEANS – The Orleans Parish School Board is going the extra mile to ensure the safety for our students. On Wednesday morning, the NOPD and OPSB held a press conference to discuss a very serious topic.
The precautions the school board is taking, is pretty impressive. Safety leaders discussed special active shooter training to increase school security citywide.
OPSB Superintendent, Henderson Lewis, believes this will benefit each student’s learning environment. “As a school district, our top priority will always be the safety students and that’s really why we’re here today.”
Lewis says, he introduced the active shooter training soon after the devastating high school shooting that happened in Parkland Florida on February 14th, 2018.
“That shooting resulted in the highest numbers in casualties of all past active shooter incidents that have occurred in the United States.”
The training covers many bases like how to evacuate a room and the best way to respond to a gunman. “I must say, it is very unfortunate that we have to talk and train for these type of potential events in places like schools” The Superintendent said during the press conference.
While the NOPD and SWAT teams are the first to the scene should something happen, officers believe teachers and staff can make a difference immediately if they’re well equipped.
“Educators become our first responders. We, as Fires, EMS, Police– when we’re responding, this is after the call. They make a life and death situation. That is why exercises like this is so important– to ready and prepare school staff for what we hope never occurs in any school.”
Yesterday’s active shooter drill isn’t the only event aimed at keeping your kids safe. There are classes that school staff and security can take to further their school safety training.