Ozark School Staff Practice Run, Hide, Fight Training with Local First Responders

Ozark Junior High School Teacher Carole Joy Webb said her first priority is always the safety and well-being of her students. But having participated in the Aug. 5 joint active shooter simulation at OJH, she feels more confident in her ability to respond calmly if the unthinkable ever happens. 

“Today was a powerful day of learning at Ozark Junior High,” she said. “These drills are never easy. They can be emotionally challenging, but they're an important part of being prepared. Today was ‘mental mapping’ of possible reactions, the old adage of ‘the mind can’t go where the body has never been.’ Today was important to both think through and be physically in challenging moments.”

Webb was one of more than 130 Ozark School teachers and staff who volunteered to participate in the multi-agency training, which included Ozark Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office, Ozark Fire Protection District, Christian County Ambulance District, Christian County Emergency Services, Christian County Emergency Management Agency, and MSBA Center for Education Safety.

The exercise was designed to portray a real-life scenario for all the agencies involved, allowing each agency to practice their training. For Ozark Schools, that meant staff practiced Run, Hide, Fight emergency procedures, while administrators practiced incident command protocol. 

“I feel so bad that we have to do this, but this is the world that we live in,” Ozark Superintendent Lori Wilson told staff during the safety briefing prior to the event. “You are heroes every day. I thank you for doing this. This is going to be some of the hardest two hours that you have ever had. But I want to thank you for doing it because it could save your life or save your students’ lives.”

Webb said the training was a valuable experience both personally and professionally. 

“What gives me confidence is seeing our staff and community responders work together,” she said. “I witnessed every adult in today’s drill being committed to protecting our students, and these drills allow us to practice communication, coordination, and care.” 

Wilson said it was essential training that she hopes the district never has to use. 

“The teachers and staff who participated gained invaluable knowledge from the exercise that they can now share with students and fellow staff members,” Wilson said. “We would like to thank all of the agencies involved. Together we make Ozark a safe and secure community.”