Simulator Aims to Help Missouri Schools Prepare for Safety Threats

(MissouriNet) A high-tech simulator can help Missouri schools prepare for potential safety threats. The interactive video technology brings to life safety scenarios such as an angry student, an unruly school board meeting, and an active shooter. The Missouri School Boards’ Association is offering to set up the simulator at schools to help staff practice responding to such security threats. John McDonald, the chief operating officer of MSBA’s Council for School Safety Leadership, says the training can include sounds of gunshots, alarms going off, kids crying, teachers screaming and a smoke machine.

“Our teachers really are the first responders of their classroom,” says McDonald. “They’re the emergency managers of the hallway. Their decision- making skills moment in time when there’s a crisis is really what keeps our kids safe. So it’s incumbent upon us to give our educators the tools to respond effectively and quickly to any crisis.”

McDonald says taking the technology to schools enables workers there to train in their environment.