Stardate 60032.9
Pretty much a sight I didn't want to see and would pass on seeing again. The police chased a man and woman from West Haven and managed to stop them in front of St Joseph. The man ran into a house and kicked the occupants out with a gun. I hear about this in a frantic call from my wife. I head down there and park up the street looking at all the cop cars around the school my older kids are in. I asked what I needed to do to get my kids, and went around back and picked them up from the gym. Patrick was excited over the events, but Rachel was shaken. Later I found out that the third grade was in the library and just told to go to the auditorium, but the fifth grade was in the classroom, which is at the end of the building closest to where the guy was hiding. So the staff burst in to the class and rushed them all out.
Rachel was upset because she tried to call me, but got two of the numbers mixed up. The school did call, but I was already on my way there. So I need to work with the kids so that they don't even need to think about my number.
Fortunately the guy surrendered without a fight.
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4 comments:
All of this time and I didn't realize that your kids were just down the street... I'm glad they are ok.. Kevin and I also were surprised when we came home and saw the street all blocked off, the helocopoters overhead, and all the cop cars.
Even on the news there were comments made by the kids about what some were told about what was going on. I think the school needs to take this incident as a lesson in learning how to move the children to safety without creating panick or causing stress.
I'm glad to hear that your kids are ok.
Thanks, Carl.
Dani: Yeah, I only learned how close you were after the SOM at your place. I didn't hear of any panic (on the part of the kids, anyway), and I don't know how you would avoid stress in such a situation. The lockdown went as it was supposed to, and the kids were moved to the safest place available and as far from the guy as they could without going outside. Not knowing how the guy was armed, going outside would have been a bad idea. They can then account for all the kids and find the safest way to get them out. The school did contact me; I just happened to find out beforehand though the parental grapevine (another parent managed to get April, who called me). If a gun battle broke out the kids are better off inside. The kids names were checked off as they were picked up. The emergency plan went off very well.
The lesson I take from this is as I mentioned: make sure the kids know my cell number. They have a cell phone with the number in the phonebook, but they did not have access to the phone. They do know April's number, but she is not allowed to have the phone at work. They should know alternate numbers as well. The school has home, work, and cell numbers, as well as emergency contacts.
Anyway, they seemed fine this morning. The only indication that anything was different was the lack of backpacks and jackets, because they were not allowed to get those when we left.
I'm glad.. I guess I just needed to take more time reading the original post.. I thought that maybe Rachel was more upset than what she was...
Again, I am glad that the kids are ok..
Our kids attend school right across from the Police Station downtown.. I have never given much thought to what they put into their emergency planning.. maybe this is time for me to take a trip to their school and find out!
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