'Run, Hide, Fight' drills prepare parents, students for worse-case scenario active threats

CENTERVILLE — Teaching parents and students about when to run, hide and fight in what are called worse-case scenario drills is helping to ease the minds of parents.

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As Malik Patterson reported for News Center 7 at 11:00, Thursday night was the first of many sessions the Centerville Schools District offered for parents in Montgomery County.

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The district has offered the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach to active threats program for four years. Parents said such drills need to be presented as often as fire drills because of what’s happenin today’s society.

Jackie Ouellet said she feels at peace knowing the school district takes time out to teach these drills.

“I do feel good about Centerville schools,” she said. “God forbid, an emergency situation like that happens, they’ll know what to do. And hopefully, you know, do it quickly.”

Having a school resource officer adds a layer of protection.

“I think that might relieve some of the anxiety for the kids. So that makes me feel better sending them there.”

Centerville police Officer Jason Stamm, one of two SROs for Centerville Schools, said, “whether it is to run hide, how to barricade, what steps to do, where to go if they exit the building. What are good exits?”

The drills, he said, must be memorized and instinctual.

“They’re just more confident with it. It’s just like anything else,” Officer Stamm said. “The more you do a skill, the better you are at it.”

And aside from being prepared, district employee Chuck Cowgill repeated the often repeated suggestion for everyone to “see something, say something.”

As well, the district’s 24-hour Safe School Hotline is connected to all school administrators “until somebody picks up,” said Cowgill, school district director of business operations. “And then we coordinate with our local police department to make sure that that every threat or every incident are investigated.”

Ouellet echoed Officer Stamm in stressing that education through memorization is critical.

“The more you educate families and parents and kids, the more they’ll have in the back of their minds should the situation arise,” she said.

The school district partnered with the nonprofit Centerville Safe, Centerville police and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to host the free presentation about the approach to active threats.

The event at the high school’s Central Theater was open to parents/guardians, students, staff and Centerville-Washington Twp. community members.

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