Active shooter training for Sycamore first responders, school leaders focuses on crisis preparedness

SYCAMORE – Sycamore police, fire and Community School District 427 officials recently participated in a school shooter training exercise meant to better prepare the district for potential crisis response.

The recent exercise held Aug. 29 at the Sycamore Police Department – during which there was no actual active shooter crisis or threat – was led by Police Chief Jim Winters, according to a news release from the district.

The hypothetical exercise allowed first responders and district officials to review and discuss each of their respective roles in the event of a crisis. Participants were given details of a scenario and had to work together to review and discuss a response plan, according to the release. The exercise was designed to test emergency protocols and identify areas for improvement.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” District 427 Superintendent Steve Wilder said in the release. “This exercise provided us with valuable insights into our emergency response procedures, and we will use the lessons learned for future planning. In addition, it gave us the opportunity to further our understanding of how law enforcement, the fire department and other emergency responders address these types of situations.”

The training exercise was meant to be a chance for emergency response teams and school leaders to better determine how best to work together if the worst-case scenario ever arose.

“The tabletop was a beneficial platform to collectively discuss capabilities and protocols, and to collaborate on how to best integrate response and communication during a critical event,” Winters said in the release. “The exercise allowed those participating some insight into why and how all partners would approach an event, with the common priority being the safety of all involved.”

Sycamore Fire Chief Bart Gilmore said it’s important to train in advance because all organizations serve different purposes during a crisis event.

“Police seek to stop the threat, firefighters seek to treat the injured, and the school district seeks to evacuate or secure the students quickly,” Gilmore said in the release. “An exercise like this tabletop exercise helps all three organizations to achieve those goals and mitigate the incident through discussion of each other’s action plans and synthesizing them into one effective strategy.”

District 427 said more training exercises are planned for the future to ensure all parties’ emergency responses to crisis situations are reviewed regularly and remain up-to-date and effective.