Law enforcement officials flooded into Boerne’s Kendall Elementary School last week, responding to an active shooter alert – all part of a state-mandated active shooter drill to better prepare law enforcement and school officials to respond to such emergencies.
The exercise simulated a school attack and was an opportunity for law enforcement, Boerne ISD administrators, campus principals, and others to work together and be better prepared to ensure school safety.
Rick Goodrich, Boerne ISD chief of safety and security for the past year, said the Active Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) level 1 is legislatively mandated for every police officer in the state to possess as a baseline of training.
A week’s worth of training culminated in Friday’s simulated event.
“We induce a scenario which has unfortunately played out before, and we coordinate the response,” Goodrich said. “It’s hard to figure out what your deficiencies are unless you exercise.”
The active shooter drill included Boerne police, Kendall County Sheriff’s Office personnel, Boerne Fire Department and EMS, BISD school officials, and county and state emergency management. Advisors from the FBI were on hand to help evaluate the procedure.
The drill utilized Kendall Elementary and Boerne Middle School South, which share a parking lot.
“The drill was in one campus and the emergency alert system was in the other campus,” Bryan Benway, Boerne ISD director of communications, said. “We weren’t in the same building as the attack simulation was going on. We were in the school adjacent, to where we could watch it live.”
Goodrich said the training also tested several existing safety systems. Tools tested included LifeSpot, a phone-based app used as a primary tool to initiate active shooter response.
“We have panic buttons within the schools, we tested those,” Goodrich said. “Our PA systems, our emergency 9-1-1 communications system – we tested every aspect, to make sure everything is working the way it was intended, before the start of school.”
Friday morning was spent reviewing existing protocol with fire, EMS, and law enforcement personnel.
“Everyone knew there would be an exercise, but they didn’t know exactly when, what the emergency would be, or the exact scenario,” he said. “We had about an hour-and-a-half window Friday afternoon where we kicked this off.”
Improving communication across the entire spectrum of first response and law enforcement is the number one goal during such drills.
“We devote a tremendous amount of resources and effort in constantly being prepared. But we’re also trying to evolve and improve,” he said.
Goodrich said the district involved its principals, assistant principals, and executive leadership so they could see how the exercise played out.
“Until you see for yourself how all of these things combine to take the approach to do what we can,” Goodrich said, “it’s something you really need to see for yourself.”
Benway said more than 150 individuals from local, state, and federal law enforcement entities participated, including the Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch Police Departments, Boerne’s Fire and EMS departments, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, the district’s school resource officers, and the FBI.
“We’re always playing defense,” Goodrich said. “Our goal is to harden our defenses and decrease response time. Our response time is under the national average … (of) 3 minutes. Ours is 2 minutes.”
While Benway said he could not recall any incidents of guns on campus or a reason to activate an ALERT response in his 3½ years at Boerne ISD, Goodrich said the problem has festered on social media.
“The greatest threat to our children is mental health. We’ve had some social media things we have had to respond to,” Goodrich said. “The problem is, there is no profile. Every incident occurs on its own.
“But we must maintain a readiness to respond if it ever were to happen,” he added.
First responders including members of the Boerne Fire Department listen to a speaker during Friday’s ALERRT training in the Boerne ISD.
A law enforcement official pats down a person role-playing as a suspect during Active Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Aug. 4 in Boerne.
Law enforcement officials listen to a briefing during Active Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Aug. 4 at Kendall Elementary School and Middle School South. In the background, a group of officers, weapons drawn, approach a classroom during a drill.
Photos courtesy of Boerne ISD.
First responder vehicles wrap around a drive outside Kendall Elementary Friday, responding to an active shooter drill happening inside.
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