On Wednesday, September 14, English Valleys students and staff participated in a drill, simulating an intruder inside the building. While Iowa law requires schools to organize at least four tornado drills and four fire drills per year, intruder drills like this occur once every other year. This is due to the fact that police, fire, and EMS are all involved.

In a drill orchestrated by Iowa County Emergency Manager Josh Humphrey, the school, as well as the community were notified beforehand that the drill would occur. However, the individual playing the role of the intruder was not given instructions until the day of the event, ensuring a realistic search for police.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. a public address announcement was made over the school intercom alerting those in the building of an active intruder. Immediately followed by a 911 call, first responders arrived. With the fire department available for any heavy lifting and paramedics performing triage, law enforcement worked to find the intruder and evacuate any students remaining in the building. By 1:45, the intruder was located and detained.

In the wake of recent national events, schools are straying away from the lock down method. Instead, in an intruder-type situation, students and staff are encouraged to evacuate and relocate if they can do so safely. Once out of the building, the drill concluded with students being picked up by parents and guardians at the pre-disclosed reunification site.

Despite a successful drill, Iowa County Sheriff Rob Rotter explained that encountering adversity is a key reason for these drills. Any perceived weaknesses in protocol allow schools and law enforcement to adapt their plan moving forward, ensuring the safety of everyone involved.