How Prepared are Rhode Island’s Schools in Event of a Shooting?

How Prepared are Rhode Island’s Schools in Event of a Shooting?

Rhode Island public K-12 schools are required to meet a number of lockdown and evacuation training criteria each year, according to state law.  

The U.S. has had 2,032 school shootings since 1970 and these numbers are increasing, according to Sandy Hook Promise. 

948 school shootings have taken place since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. Since Columbine High School in 1999, nearly 300,000 students have been on campus during a school shooting.

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According to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), in accordance with state law (§16-21-4, §16-21-5), all schools (public and nonpublic) in Rhode Island are required to perform 15 emergency drills that include fire, lockdown, and evacuation drills. 

“At least one drill shall be conducted each month, and at least one out of every four must be obstructed drills. As part of the required 15 emergency drills, each school must conduct two evacuation drills and two lockdown drills. One lockdown drill shall occur in September and one in January,” states the law. 

RIDE, however, refused to comment on what, if any, role local law enforcement agencies have in school-conducted active shooter trainings.

In Ulvade, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed this week in a school shooting, the focus has turned to the Uvalde school police chief’s decision not to send officers inside. 

 

State Police “Reviewing” School Safety Reports

On Friday, the Rhode Island State Police issued the following:

“The Rhode Island State Police oversee the Rhode Island School Safety Committee, which meets monthly and provides at least two trainings a year. Other participants in the Committee include the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, Rhode Island Department of Education, the Rhode Island Superintendents Association, BHDDH, the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal and school security personnel. The mission of the Rhode Island School Safety Committee is to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff in all Rhode Island Schools. 

‘There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our children. The Rhode Island State Police works with state and local public safety partners to ensure that all stakeholders are trained and prepared. Most importantly, we focus on prevention through intelligence gathering, actively engaging school officials with training, and conducting security assessments,’ said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. ‘As we mourn the victims of gun violence, we want to assure families that we have no greater priority than ensuring that our children are safe in their classrooms. We ask all Rhode Islanders to be vigilant and to remember that if you “see something, say something,” so we can work together to keep our communities safe.’

Currently the School Safety Committee is collecting and reviewing All Hazards Site Safety Survey Reports from each public school in the State. These reports will identify safety deficiencies and help administrators and public safety officials make decisions on how best to mitigate any gaps in safety.

The Rhode Island State Police encourages school officials to work with local and state law enforcement partners to conduct active shooter training and preparedness. Schools are advised to train evacuation procedures and have shelter-in-place plans. Multiple evacuation routes should be clearly marked with appropriate signage and rallying points well-known to participants.”