Community Chat

[TenderMercies]

These products look good for classroom doors:  https://youtu.be/DKHNSwTha18

[Meowshmarrow]

I went to private school and our main gate & front doors were locked most of the time.

We also had some volunteers from PTA for security.

This principal could ask PTA and community for any idea and help before talking about this to media.

[Kmac444]

This is from their website...

ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training instructor led classes provide preparation and a plan for individuals and organizations on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event. Whether it is an attack by an individual person or by an international group of professionals intent on conveying a political message through violence, ALICE Training option based tactics have become the accepted response, versus the traditional “lockdown only” approach.

[Allegheny]

As it happens many times when a story like this hits the media it is paraphrased; vital background information is left out.

When I first heard the announcement of this story on our local news I chuckled; that was until I listened to the superintendant.  Then I understood.  Below is some of the information he provided.

The superintendent of the Blue Mountain School District was explaining his unconventional form of protecting the students in their schools in the event of an active shooter situation: give them rocks.

“At one time I just had the idea of river stone, they`re the right size for hands, you can throw them very hard and they will create or cause pain, which can distract,” said Helsel.

Helsel says teachers, staff and students were given active shooter training through a program known as ALICE which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate and they routinely hold evacuation drills for active shooter simulations.

But if a teacher decides to lockdown a classroom, there are rocks in a five-gallon bucket kept in every classroom closet that students could throw if shooters get inside.

Still, Helsel says the rocks are seen as a last resort.

“We have devices installed in our doors that help to secure them, to make it very difficult to break through,” said Helsel. “We also have, we train kids and talk about barricading the doors.”

A teenager who is a senior a Blue Mountain High School and says he and other students like that plan.

“It matters because it will help protect the schools, anything helps, rocks are better than books and pencils.”

[embgm]

Decisions have to be made very quickly depending on the situation. Fighting the shooter is on a n I have no other choice option. In one of the shootings if I remember correctly it was in Virginia our instructor told us that one classroom tried to hide in place and the classroom next door jumped out the windows. Many were shot and killed in the first classroom. Only the teacher was shot in the second classroom. Students were injured jumping out the windows but they all survived. The average response time for police to arrive is 7-8minutes so you are on your own till then. The shooting doesn't usually last that long.

[Mominohio]

---

@cherrywrote:

I disagree. I think he is proactive, and not just setting wringing his hands..I would rather go down fighting than be slaughtered like sheep

---

Bringing rocks to a gun fight isn't going down fighting. It's leading the lambs to slaughter.

[Mominohio]

---

@jpiewrote:

While it is one more strategy to deal with such a horrific problem, I just can't get a visual of how this would work. It is certainly better that nothing. I would be too scared to throw rocks at someone armed with an assault-type gun. I would be more of the flee in a fight or flee scenario. Maybe it would work if the intruder was using a sling shot.

---

Yes, let's encourage them to stand up and wind up to throw rocks at someone with a gun. How's that really gonna work? It makes them bigger targets and more physically exposed, is what it does.

[Mominohio]

---

@cherrywrote:

I'm just glad you aren't the teacher @Carmie..He is the first person I have seen with any ingenuity and guts

---

True ingenuity and guts would be to increase security at the school, work on the factors that drive these students to want to bring guns to school and kill (bullying, being outcast, not fitting in etc.). These are the areas that will prevent or lessen the odds of a nut and a gun being there with ill intent in the first place. 

[Mominohio]

---

@cherrywrote:

Well David killed Goliath with a few stones. They may also have slings. I have seen them used  before. They are deadly..they are a long range weapon and they hit with tremendous force

I applaud this man. He is thinking out of the box ,and doing the best he has ,with nothing at all..no help from our govt nor anyone else

To all the sneerers  you   don't seem to have any solutions at all, do you?

---

Why yes, on these threads many have offered up lots of things to help. Security, security security. Follow through when kids are on the radar. Anti bullying and inclusiveness practices, metal detectors. Encouraging kids to tell what they know, but ways they can do so without being outed for it.......All will go farther than a bucket of rocks.

[Mominohio]

---

@cherrywrote:

I would want my children under the care of someone who is at least trying to save them, than people who offer no solutions or help, just empty words, that do nothing at all

---

You really have to stop saying no one is offering any solutions, because it just isn't true. 

Again. 

Anti bullying

Advanced security more cameras, better perimeter security, better control over who is coming and going in buildings etc.

Reporting what is seen

Mental health awareness

FOLLOW UP ON WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED the last one would not have happened had all the various agencies and organizations that knew this guy was going to do this, had done their jobs.

Arm teachers or administrators

Have more resource officers

See, lots of things have been offered up that will do so much more than a bucket of rocks. We have to stop saying there are no ideas. There are plenty, and in the last case, most of it was ignored or disregarded.