FAYETTEVILLE — Students and teachers at Fayetteville High School participated in a lockdown drill during third period Wednesday, testing the school’s emergency preparedness in the event of an intruder.
Assistant Principal Bobby Smith said the plan worked as it should in the areas of the school he checked and an evaluation would be done later.
Smith checked external doors and classroom doors on the second and third floors of the older part of the school.
The start of the drill was announced over the public address system and ended about 15 minutes later.
During that time, administrators and school resource officers checked all the doors.
Smith said he knocked on random classroom doors to make sure teachers didn’t open a door when he announced he was a maintenance worker wanting inside.
“Teachers have a list of procedures to follow,” Smith said, including closing the window blinds, turning off lights and keeping students away from doors and windows. Teachers are trained to handle different situations, Smith said.
Students caught in the hallways were directed to the Bulldog Lobby entrance where, in the event of a real intruder, they would be told to flee the building.
Seven students and a parent assembled in the lobby.
Tina West, a parent, walked into the building to withdraw a student as the drill started.
“I don’t know if it makes you feel safer but certainly gives you some precautionary measures,” West said.
Gage Powell, 18, said, “You can’t prepare for one of these things. You can’t prepare for someone trying to kill you.”
Shelby Basinger, 16, added, “It makes you more aware.”
Superintendent Vicki Thomas said all schools in the district are required to have fire drills monthly and lockdown and evacuation drills once a semester. The timing of the drills is left to the individual building leadership.
“Our students are not going to be docile victims,” Smith said.