Swat plans for schools

Thanks, Raymond. I would hope I could do the right thing, but I keep remembering it took me around 5-8 minutes to come up with that solution, ineffective as it turned out to be.

My school and room are what you describe (Keep in mind I'm only a student teacher, my building will change in the Fall.) The school is an "L" shape. The "pod" (primary grades) are at one end, we (6th grade) are at the other with the gym, music, lounge, office etc. along the corner. We're the next to last room on a straight hallway, about 20-30 feet from the exit into an open field. To be honest, I think it's a pretty good setup--there's some cover but that helps cops and kids too, plus the long straight hall means if I get the kids partway out and the guy comes back I should see him before he can be accurate with a handgun. If I were armed this would mean I could get the kids out, stay between the two, and engage him. Of course, I'm NOT.

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
Raymond,

My wife and I teach evening classes at three different public schools. In every case, there is only one door to the classroom - no other access and all doors CAN be locked from the inside(!)

In two schools, the doors have NO windows. In the third, the door has a small window about one square foot at eye level.

My wife and I had the same idea. What if there were MORE kids with guns than the one we saw? Who else has guns? Would a parent in a panic recognize us as Good Guys? Would the police? etc. etc.

Our plan would be to close and lock the door to the room. In the room with the windowed door, there is a six foot table we would put flat against the door and slide the teacher's desk against the table. Put all students against the cement block wall to the side of the door and "hole up" until the police have the scene under control. And when they come to check on us, they probably will have a tough time convincing us they are the police. (I could do it easily because I know some of their names and radio numbers.)

If armed, I would seek cover (at least concealment) and cover the door. We'd be there until the place burned down, blew up, or was cleared.
 
Don, (gwinnydapooh),
The main reason to plan and work out scenarios is for exactly the reason you just gave. You have time to think and plan.

By reallisticly playing out, "What would I do if?" games in our heads when we have the time 5 to 8 minute. We don't take 5 to 8 minutes when the fat is in the fire and 5 to 8 seconds can get you killed.

You can't "train or plan" for every possibility. But the what if scenario (mind Game)is limited only by your Imagination.

Dennis,
What you have is a good start plan, and provided you don't have a fire or a bomb it will probably work just fine. As I said before a plan is a place to start and any plan (within reason) is better than none.

You might aprouch the administation so set up a code, Password or phrase so you would know when it is safe to come out.

In the case of Fire I'm out of there with the kids. You have a much better chance of at least some of you getting through the gun fire, than you do surviving a Confligration.





[This message has been edited by Raymond VanDerLinden (edited October 26, 1999).]
 
Dennis,
One comment on plans. Remember the anti gun womans plan to attack you when you didn't feel well? There should never be The Plan, always plan "A", plan "B". Catch my drift?

Ray,
Your plan may be different than my plan may be different than Gwinny's plan. I know it is impossible to cover all the bases. I am trying to point out that they (in this case the schools) should know this also.

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CCW for Ohio action site.
http://www.ofcc.net
 
Raymond,
Problem is that only a few people are in the school after hours - typically a few kids (band, theater group, etc.) with only one or two adults. The groups vary, I know NONE of them, therefore I have NO faith in what they might do.

Hal,
Plan A, plan B. Got it and agree wholeheartedly.

All,
You know the real problem is that I am not permitted to have a .45 with two mags... :(
 
Hal,
I agree the school should understand this. The fact is they haven't a clue. Years and Years of dealing with A lesson plan, or A fire evacuation plan. and the more reasent one size fits all disapline plan. (which doesn't work) I just can't see School Administators getting out of the rut with out repeated disasters. No one wants that to happened so it is up to teachers and LEO to come up with plan B and C, and to know when to wing it.
 
Hal--I missed the anti-gun woman, why on Earth would she want to attack Raymond?

Dennis--you named the real problem precisely. I was just thinking about this tonight at the elementary school. Leaving a storytelling program about 8:00 pm, one of the kids from last year (when I was an aide in the same class) came riding up behind me. We made small talk that led to his announcing that he was there to get into a fight. One of my sixth graders had said something bad about his sister and supposedly kneed him in the crotch earlier, and thus "they gotta die." As I was berating this little dork for the stupidity of going out long after dark with the intention of getting into a fight over an old insult, two more kids come riding up--these two are at least 14-15. Don't take this wrong, but you all remember the kid in high school who had no friends so he hung out with the junior high kids and tried to look like a badass? That's these two. I found myself in the position, eventually, of trying to verbally control 3 teenagers and 3 younger kids. I WAS armed--had my Folts Mantis in my pocket (custom 3.5 inch fixed blade.) Luckily, all it took was my stern teacher voice and glare, but I'd have felt better out in the dark with several teenagers trying to be big bad men if I'd had a firearm.
But what do I know? What Napoleon says is always right. . . .

BTW, fairly happy ending, I got rid of the sixth graders and sent the rest home, then went home, called the cops, asked them to look out for groups of junior high kids for possible fighting. I KNOW they didn't go home, but what else am I gonna do? Call the parents? :(

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
Gwinny,
It was Dennis not Raymond. Readers Digest version: Some woman made it a point to ride Dennis about gun control every time she saw him. It worked as planned for her every time,, until one day Dennis had the flu and just didn't feel like being polite. Her *plan* went to $hit, and she had no follow up. It also points out that a bad plan, sometimes, is worse than no plan at all.

Re: the dork and company. You also were armed with one of the most effective weapons ever invented. Your brain. It sounds like you used it well. I don't want to say that it's possible to talk trouble away all the time, but it is possible to always try to be in the position of advantage. It's how you treat that position of advantage that counts. Sounds like another happy ending.

------------------
CCW for Ohio action site.
http://www.ofcc.net

[This message has been edited by Hal (edited October 27, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Hal (edited October 27, 1999).]
 
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