Exercises to contain active shooters are back in schools after a two-year hiatus and have garnered even more interest since three CEGEPs were the subject of false alarms.
• Also read: Containment of Lionel-Groulx College: This submachine gun scared a lot of people
• Also read: Emergencies: Cegeps and universities need to be better prepared
• Also read: A shooter locks up another college
“I think containment drills should be as natural as fire drills. We’re there, in 2022,” said Nicole Champagne, Sergeant Regional Coordinator in Community Policing at the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
On November 11 and 18, three CEGEPs in the greater Montreal area were held in custody for several hours for nearby shootings or the presence of a suspect.
This was in addition to the many high schools that had to be evacuated or locked down this fall due to threats of all kinds.
However, the level of preparedness for these types of incidents varies greatly from one educational institution to another as it is under the control of the school administration or School Service Centers (CSS).
In recent weeks, police forces have noted an increasing demand for barricaded containment drills, particularly in Quebec and Longueuil.
anchor in morality
“I’ve been hearing about this for a while now. […] There are some concerns,” admits Nicolas Prévost, President of the Québec Federation of Educational Establishments.
“Before, people felt a bit far from it, like it could only happen outside of Quebec. But here we see that this is not the case. The exercises, we must enshrine that in our customs, ”believes Mr. Prévost.
It must be said that during the two years of the pandemic, most of these exercises had been put on hold.
know what to do
Since 2008, the SQ has had a Safe Operations Response Plan (PRES). The schools have a folder that is updated annually and contains an emergency protocol and lots of relevant information, such as a building plan.
A video can be presented as training. Some schools or universities have never practiced containment. Others repeat this exercise every year, with or without students (see other text).
“If we know what to do, we will be less cold [si on doit réellement se confiner] “Explains Sergeant Champagne.
For example, during an exercise, teachers found that their room door could not be locked. Or we found out in a vocational training center that the noise of the machines prevents us from hearing the intercom with the alarm signal, the policewoman explains.
With or without students? The controversy continues
Many schools and even some police forces still refuse to conduct house arrest drills in the presence of students, even when the practice is recommended by the Sûreté du Québec.
“It’s common sense. We do not want to traumatize our students, “explains Marie-Claude Gignac, Secretary General of the CSS de Portneuf, where the detention exercises are only carried out in the presence of staff.
This is also the case at the CSS de la Pointe-de-l’Île, where we want to avoid “resuscitation trauma” in migrant clients, we explain in response to a request for access to information made this summer.
The police department of the Longueuil agglomeration recommends practicing without the students, since the training in their presence “would be very extensive […] and can cause significant stress.
minority
Of the roughly 2,700 drills that have been conducted on SQ territory since the PRES program began in 2008, only 400 have been conducted in the presence of schoolchildren or students.
But are these pre-programmed exercises so scary? With the SQ, we find that they have a “calming” effect.
In addition, the violent aspect is evacuated. Nobody comes to play the role of fake gunman, explains Karine Chayer, a trained criminologist.
“We’re not trying to simulate emotions, we’re trying to practice gestures and reactions,” adds Ms. Chayer, who was the country coordinator of the PRES program for a long time.
“The kids stumbled”
At the Regroupement des Comités de Parents Autonomes du Québec (RCPAQ), we only have good words for the exercises performed with the SQ.
“It will be done with exemplary skill,” said President Sylvain Martel. “It all depends on how it’s presented,” for both students and parents.
As an example, he cites a case in elementary school where young people had to practice locking themselves in because a bear might be invading the school.
“It wasn’t just the kids who stumbled […]but they came back enchanted because they hid instead of calculating,” illustrates Mr. Martel.
Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?