Emergency preparedness training for teachers and students in the Othello School District of Washington state is changing. Gregg Fultz, the Othello School District's risk manager said revisions would require an emergency drill each month school is in session. The traditional fire drill will still take place and is required, but teachers and students also will practice lockdown techniques and have at least one drill to shelter in place. The minimum per year will be three lockdown and fire drills, one shelter-in-place and two drills building principals will be able to choose.
In all, taking into account the months that students are in the buildings, the district will have 10 emergency drills, eight of them mandated.
At a board meeting, Fultz reported that proactive emergency preparedness training has been going on over the past year, even without students in the building.