Parents are asked to stay calm if they see police vehicles around Harrison Hot Springs Elementary on Tuesday (Jan. 12).
The elementary school will be having a lockdown drill on Tuesday morning, to prepare students for the possibility of a real lockdown.
“Like fire drills, this practice is needed to enable students and staff to react properly and be safe in a real-life situation,” a notice from the school reads.
During the drill, which will take place at 11:15 a.m., the exterior doors will be locked. A sign will be on the front doors informing people that is a drill, and they are not allowed to enter.
Harrison Hot Springs Elementary stated that it will never hold a surprise lockdown drill.
Real lockdowns have taken place at schools in Agassiz and Harrison. In 2015, for example, all schools in the community were put on lockdown after a threatening phone call was sent to Kent Elementary.
RELATED: Students safe after lockdown at all Agassiz and Harrison schools
In the event of a real lockdown, parents are asked to not come to the school, as police and other emergency responders need clear access to the site. Parents are also asked not to phone their children, to keep phone lines clear and to not give away the students’ locations in the school.
In the event of a real lockdown, parents can assemble at Memorial Hall (290 Esplanade Avenue) where they will be given information from police and school staff.
Any parents with questions about Tuesday’s lockdown drill can email principal Tammy Nazarchuk at tammy.nazarchuk@sd78.bc.ca or stop by the school office.
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