‘This make us more confident’: Active attacker drills appreciated by students
In the wake of school shootings in the United States, students and staff at St. Clair College in Windsor say “active attacker” drills are a good idea.
The college conducted the first of three emergency communication exercises Tuesday at its downtown campus. Similar scenarios will take place at other campuses next month.
“It's great to secure the life of students,” said event management student Sangeeba Sharme.
“They teach us how to hide, how to escape, how to save the people,” Sharme said. “It's a very good activity to teach, to learn more things, right? For our life, for others' life.”
Sharme explained similar drills have taken place where she works, suggesting it’s not scary but beneficial to be prepared.
“This make us more confident when we know how to handle the things. If people don't have much knowledge how to escape themselves and how to save others, then it's really scary,” she said. “But if you have a little knowledge about these things, I think then it's great.”
Classmate Teran Grewl agreed, but admitted it is worrisome to think about a tragic event unfolding.
“Whether we are in the mall, whether we are on the street, it helps everywhere.”
“Yeah, it is scary thinking about a risk like this. It's a scary thing, like active attackers are happening every day back in the U.S. I think. So it's really scary. Yeah. But we need to fight on it. We need to mitigate the risk,” Grewl told CTV News.
College staff said the communication exercise will happen again Apr. 6 at the South Campus and Apr. 13 at the Chatham Campus.
“It's to help staff and students understand what communication would be sent out if ever such an event happened,” explained Rebecca Demchuk, associate vice president of safety security and facilities management.
“To understand what they should do if that happens, it gives them options and we think it's important that everybody understands there's options in a situation like that.”
Demchuk said recent events in Nashville and Michigan State University emphasize the need to be prepared.
“When I heard it last night, it's very unfortunate that these events are happening in our world, but we need to be prepared. You know, it really hits home when it's close to home. And we thought it just it became essential that we ran such a drill.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.