In what’s being billed as a first-of-its-kind drill in Northern Virginia, Loudoun County’s Sheriff’s Office and the school system next Friday will conduct an exercise that simulates the aftermath of a school shooting.
The Reunification Training Exercise on April 5, a day that students have off, will be held at Newton-Lee Elementary School and Stone Bridge High School. It will not involve any students. School staffers and school security officer personnel will play the roles of those involved.
“No school in our nation is immune from violence, and we must do everything possible to protect our children and those who work to educate and support them,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman, in a news release. “The LCSO has been at the forefront of active shooter incident training, and part of that is the extraction and reunification of those impacted with their loved ones.”
During the half-day drill, first responders will safely extract “students” from the fake shooting site and take them to another school where they would be reunited with parents or guardians.
“We are proud for LCPS to be at the forefront of efforts such as these. We take the safety and security of our students and staff very seriously. This training is an invaluable opportunity to engage in and learn from a scenario we hope we never have to face,” said Superintendent Aaron Spence.
The exercise will be done in the morning and should wrap up at noon. Planning for the event is being done by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Unit, Criminal Investigation Division, High Threat Team, and Ashburn Station Command; Loudoun County Public Schools Safety & Security and Transportation teams; and with support from the Loudoun County Combined Fire & Rescue Service.
The event will closed to the public.
Feature image courtesy Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine’s News newsletter.
