November 14, 2024
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER) – November 14, 2024 – Helicopters, drones and a slew of emergency responders were all part of a drill conducted on Nov. 7 at Pond Road Middle School.
The Robbinsville Township Board of Education, in conjunction with the Robbinsville Township Police Department, undertook the full-scale school emergency response exercise to ensure all emergency responders and school personnel know the proper procedure if the unthinkable should happen.
The exercise, last completed six years ago at Robbinsville High School, simulated a school shooting incident acted out by student and faculty volunteers. School was not in session during the drill and no other students were present.
A primary goal was to practice proper reunification, which is the process of reuniting students with their families in the wake of an emergency, Robbinsville police Sgt. Scott Kivet said. Reunification involves a careful evacuation of school premises to an undisclosed location, at which students shelter until it is safe to emerge. Parents are then notified of the location to reunite with their children, he added.
A key component is the distribution of consistent, unified public information. In the case of an emergency, all information goes through a Joint Information Center, which will distribute the same message to parents through various channels, such as robocalls and media alerts, according to police.
“Distributing unified public information during any incident is an essential part of an effective emergency response,” Kivet said. “We are making sure there is absolutely no confusion if the need arises to reunite students with parents at an outside location. This drill allowed us to develop and coordinate responses in real time and prepared us even further to deal with worst case scenarios.”
No emergency messages were sent to parents during the drill to avoid alarm, but information was prepared just as it would be in an actual emergency.
The exercise involved members of the “Rapid Response Partnership,” a team of police officers, firefighters and EMTs specially equipped to remove students from dangerous situations and patch up bleeding wounds.
High-end police technology was showcased. Drones were deployed around the interior and exterior of the school building, while police accessed the middle school’s cameras to monitor the school halls.
Additionally, helicopters arrived at the scene to simulate emergency medical extraction to neighboring hospitals.
“Exercises on this scale ensure we are prepared for any school shooting incident or other emergency which may arise,” Interim Schools Superintendent Jeff C. Gorman said. “The safety of our students is first and foremost on our list of priorities, and we will continue to aid law enforcement and emergency officials in any way we can to make sure our students are always well protected.”
While it is unclear when the next full-scale exercise will take place, Kivet is pleased with the drill’s success and is confident there will be more in the future.
“The value we get out of these exercises is immeasurable,” he said. “Between practicing reunification, perfecting public information strategies, gaining hands-on experience with our new technology and much more, running through these scenarios ensures we are ready for anything.”
Photos provided by: Robbinsville Schools
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