Read more: Local, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, "Active Shooter", Active Shooter Training, Jefferson City High School, Police, Cole County Sheriff's Department, Highway Patrol, Assistant Principal David Patton, Jennifer O'dell is a Senior at Jefferson City High School, Assistant Principal David Wilson, Security, Security Procedures, Dr. David Patton, Jefferson City, Disaster Training, School, School Gunman, Guns, Gun Violence, Ohio Shooting, Teachers, Education, Student Safety
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With the nation rocked by another school shooting, we wanted to know if Mid-Missouri schools are prepared for something like what happened in Ohio.
At Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Jefferson City, teachers worked just last week with law enforcement on how to react in what's called an "active shooter" situation.
Assistant Principal David Patton said the teachers actually ask for the training, "From how we do it now it's very individual, the teachers felt like they were on their own and it was each man for himself. And now it feels much more like a team”, Patton said.
Law enforcement actually came into the building and showed teachers where to place students in a classroom, away from the doors and windows.
Patton said the biggest part of the training was how to direct people. He said 95 percent of his students are going to do the right thing when asked.
But, what about Jefferson City High School?
Jennifer O'Dell is a Senior at Jefferson City High School, "I think that with as big as our school is, it's not quite where it could be, but they're doing a lot of changes to get to that point".
O'Dell said she and her friends have never felt unsafe at school. She thinks the district also does a great job of securing school sponsored events outside of school.
Assistant Principal David Wilson told us his staff has procedures in place to keep the worst from happening, "On the one hand school is one of the safest places a teenager can be, on the other hand, what happened in Ohio could happen anywhere in the country”.
Back at Thomas Jefferson, Patton hopes he and his students never use the training, but one thing is for sure, "The confidence level of the teachers has just gone way up and the more teachers we can have doing it the better".
The Highway Patrol and the Cole County Sheriff's Department participated in the training at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
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