MERIDIAN, Idaho — Just days away from the start of school, local police departments and their school resource officers are completing multiple relevant training programs to help ensure day-to-day safety for students.
The Meridian Police and Fire Departments hosted 16 recruits to complete their Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) training at Merdian’s scenario village.
“This is a big thing that we practice every year, multiple times a year,” says Division Chief JD Hendrick, Meridian Fire Dept.
Active shooter or hostile event response on a school campus is constantly improving. Firefighters are now training to begin treating victims when the threat is minimized, referred to as a 'warm zone', as opposed to waiting until the threat has been eliminated, referred to as a 'cold zone'.
“How it’s changed now is we have created an opportunity to get fire and police in earlier so that we can handle any injuries that may have taken place,” says Hendrick.
As situations like these are extremely rare, especially in Idaho, first responders and school resource officers also prioritize training in day-to-day responsibilities on campus.
“They’re going to ensure that in the morning, they have a presence within the halls and in front of the school, so the students, staff and anybody else that comes into the school are observed and the presence is there,” says Corporal Adnan Rudan of Meridian Police Department.
“So if a big incident were to kick in, we are here. We are practicing together, and we’re better prepared to work together. That’s why it’s so important to train with the folks in law enforcement,” says Hendrick.
School resource officers also take classes on crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and how to handle drugs on campus, all to keep students safe.
