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Fishers school employees trained on active shooters

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) – Hamilton Southeastern staff members on Friday attended the first active shooter training ever offered in Fishers.

Three hundred staff members attended the hour long session that started with a montage of video clips showing active crime scenes on school campuses across the country. The instructions were given by Indiana State Police. They shared the best way to react if disaster strikes.

“They were told to be more aware of their surroundings. They were also told what questions to ask and how to respond during an emergency. We hope no one is ever put in this situation, but if they are we want our staff to be ready,” said Beverly Smith, director of school and community relations for HSE schools.

They advised those who attended to dial 911 first, then evacuate if possible. If evacuation isn’t possible, they suggested hiding out and, as a last resort, taking action. They also urged the school employees to try and remain calm. This will help police gather information like the location of the shooter, what the weapon looks like and the number of victims.

“We want to be proactive to keep more than 20,000 students in our district safe, that is our number one priority,” said Jim White, director of transportation for HSE.

There have been a number of active-shooter incidents in schools across the country.

“With what is going on throughout our country, we feel it is better to be prepared. I feel this training component will be a big help,” said Rich Hogue with Indiana State Police.