This news article intends to communicate the purpose and process of a security drill that is planned for Wednesday, November 8th, during the morning. All schools in Pennsylvania are required to run an emergency drill within the first 90 days of school. These drills are different than our standard fire drills and simulate situations that could pose a threat to students. The purpose of any drill is to educate, not alarm. Each student will know in advance the specific details of the simulation.
The drill will be a verbal simulation that requires students and staff to implement the Bedford Area School District’s safety training program known as A.L.I.CE. All of the students and staff at BHS have received this training and know the acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. At some point in the morning, I will inform everyone we will practice a scenario to help students prepare to implement the ALICE process in the event of an emergency. I will then present the mock scenario and have teachers discuss with their classes the actions that would be taken in a real situation. There will be NO “fake intruder” or physical threat in the building. The purpose of the drill is to simply give students an opportunity to discuss their decision-making process with their teachers. I expect the drill will last approximately 10 minutes, and then the regular schedule will resume.
Hopefully, this information will ease any anxiety some adolescent students experience with these types of drills. In reality, the threat of harm to school students from outside sources is extremely low. However, it is wise and necessary to practice security procedures as part of our overall safety plan. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Bedford High School office at 623-4250.