Armed intruder training concludes at PSHS

Police and school district officials held a drill Wednesday morning to practice their response in the event of an armed intruder on the campus of Palm Springs High School.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 were at simulation.

The drill ran from 8:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the campus, located at 2401 E. Baristo Road.

“The training scenario is based on the school campus officer calling in the shots of gun shots heard in one of the hallways and finding several students wounded,” says Sgt. Harvey Reed with the Palm Spring Police Department.

“Patrol units are responding so is the SWAT team and the fire department. There’s a process a protocol that’s involved for the school district personnel as well as other agencies,” says Reed.

“We are trying to get out ahead of the game, and work with all the agencies so if something terrible like this would happen we’re ready were prepared,” says Mauricio Arellano, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Palm Springs Unified School District.

The Palm Spring Police Department made multiple announcements leading up to the drill.

“The students are aware, the parents are aware, the staff are aware, they are not aware of the specifics but in order not to scare anyone we did make everyone aware of what was going on, and we allowed parents to exclude their kids if they didn’t want to be part of the exercise,” says Arellano.

Emergency vehicles and personnel were in view during the drill, which authorities publicized in advance so local businesses and passersby would know it was only a simulation and there was no need for alarm.

Students actively participated in the drill.

“We all went to one side of the room and made sure that we sat down a kept quite so if there was an armed intruder, he wouldn’t know that we are in the classroom,” says Ricky Wright, a senior at Palm Springs High School.

We’ll have a more information about Wednesday’s drill coming up in our evening newscasts.