IN RECENT years, schools all over the nation have witnessed or at least have heard of school shootings happening. Most recently, the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida this 14th of February took 17 lives.

The event sparked an ongoing debate throughout social media about gun laws and being “mentally ill.”

What has not been discussed is what schools and students should do in these situations.

In a survey taken at Granger High, 9 out of 10 students feel safe at Granger High. The reason why is because students have noticed the quickness Granger has when it comes to handling situations. “I was here when we had a soft lockdown, I felt like the school did a really good job on reacting to the situation. They were fast,” Caitlyn Olsen (9) said.

Fortunately, Granite School District has a Safe School Protocol which explains 3 different kind of lockdown protocols depending on the situation. The 3 procedures are: Shelter In Place, Lockdown, and Lockdown With Cover.

Shelter in Place is when there is a potential threat off campus but is nearby. Students participate in normal class days while outside doors are locked and a police officer is at the door.

Lockdown is the protocol used when there is a potential threat to student safety either on campus or adjoining to the campus. Classes proceed as normal but all doors are locked and no visitors are allowed. It is also known as a Hard Lockdown.

The final protocol is a Lockdown With Cover and that is when there is a definite threat on campus and all students must go to the nearest room and take cover until the situation is clear. This information can be found on the Granite School District Website under Employee Links.

The concern is what Granger will do to make sure there are no fatalities. Luckily, the administration has a plan if any student is in the halls while there’s a situation. The plan is known as Run, Hide and Fight.

Run means to have a plan and route and mind.

Hide- keep out of the shooters view and stay quiet. Block the entry of the hiding place. Fight is the last resort in which individual lives are in complete danger. This means to try and incapacitate the shooter in any way possible. Physical aggression is required, as lives may depend on it.

Lancers are also getting an idea of what to do in these situations. “With this being all over the place, I might start thinking about what to do in the situation a bit more often,” Andrew Fleischel (9) said.

It is important to stay calm at all times and it is recommended to be ready to react quickly. Staying quiet plays a huge role on staying safe and most importantly staying hidden.  

Teachers and the administration are ready for any situation that puts students in danger.  Every school is required to have 7 first responders. A first responder is an individual teacher or administrator who attends a special training like CPR or emergency situation training. The main priority is to promote safety around the school and act on any situation where medical attention is needed.

In a case of an active shooter, these individuals are to wait until the threat is gone then help any possible injured students. First responders work with the administration and the police officers to stop possible threats. The school’s plan is to keep students safe from the shooter and alert the police.

Once the police stop the shooter, then first responders and officers help students get to a trained individual to aid possible injuries.

Students should not fear coming to school because of certain events that have taken place somewhere else. Mr. Babcock, a first responder and Granger counselor, thinks students shouldn’t fear coming to school. “I trust the students, us as teachers and administrators have the opportunity to know the students and have relationships that can help students have a good life at school,” Babcock said.

The administration encourages students to download the SafeUT App in order to report any threatening activity. The Lancer plan is to stay calm at all times, listen to the adult in the class, and hide until the threat is gone. If lives are at stake, then physical aggression is encouraged.  

First responders will take care of any students needing CPR or have any injuries until an ambulance arrives. There is no need to worry and fear coming to school, the administration and staff will take any necessary action to keep students safe at all times. Granger is a safe place to learn but it is always helpful to be ready for any threatening situation.