Area law enforcement and emergency responders held an active shooter drill at Ethel High School Monday morning.
Right around 10 a.m., incoming Ethel High School Principal Culley Newman, acting as the “bad guy,” entered the school.
“I chose Mr. Newman so he could see the strengths and weaknesses of the school and also see how an entry team works,” said Deputy Matt Steed, the school resource officer.
The scenario was that an unidentified male entered the school and shortly thereafter, school personnel heard what sounded like gunfire. They immediately called 911.
Attala County Emergency Management Director Danny Townsend set up a command center in the pavilion across the road from the school and Sheriff Tim Nail was the decision-maker on law enforcement response to the incident.
About two minutes after the first “shots,” Nail ordered an entry team to the school. That team entered the building within about five minutes of the 911 call.
“This is the big eye-opener: We were surprised at how much damage a bad guy could do in four or five minutes,” said Steed.
Several high school students posed as “victims” of the incident, and note cards listing their injuries were placed on their bodies so that paramedics, EMTs and other personnel could respond accordingly. In this drill, the county did not use fake blood, as has been used in similar drills elsewhere.
The EHS students were replaced by Attala Vo-Tech nursing students when it came time to transport them to the hospital for care.
“Everyone gets to test how their department responds,” said Steed. “I was very pleased with the Sheriff’s Department and the school staff and how they handled it. All the students followed directions clearly and did what they were supposed to do.”
Attala County School Superintendent Bryan Weaver said he, too, was happy with everyone’s performance during a stressful scenario.
“The active shooter drill went really good. The Sheriff’s Department was very effective in handling the threat and situation,” he said. “Our students and staff followed protocol and the outcome was very effective. There are many positives we can take away from this drill.”
Participating in the drill were Attala County Emergency Management Director Danny Townsend, the Attala County Sheriff’s Department, the Kosciusko Police Department, Attala County Fire Department, the Attala County and Kosciusko fire departments, MedStat ambulance service, nursing students of Attala County Vo-Tech and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Attala.
