In light of the recent school shooting in northern Saskatchewan, the Chinook's Edge School Division is reminding its community partners that the division has comprehensive and up-to-date security plans in place to ensure student and staff safety.
“We've had a risk assessment protocol in place for years and we are always reviewing that protocol,” said Wanda Christensen, associate superintendent. “Basically it is a protocol that we have in place with our community partners (including) RCMP, mental health, Child and Family Services. We implement that protocol whenever we identify students who are experiencing or showing high-risk behaviours or making threats.
“The protocol gets activated whenever any evidence is brought to our attention concerning worrisome, high-risk behaviours and what we do is bring our partners together, communicate and share information and then make an action plan to put supports and interventions in place.”
Under the protocol, each school in the division has a multi-disciplinary violence threat/risk assessment team which oversees the response to any potential threats.
“We have strong partnership and relationship with the RCMP in every school community and that is the first step in ensuring that our schools are safe,” she said.
Two school staff members were shot and killed at the school in La Loche, Sask. on Jan. 22, with two others residents killed at a separate location in the town.
Seven other people were shot and injured in the school.
A 17-year-old male has been charged with four counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder in the La Loche shootings. He cannot be named.
As part of being prepared to respond to threats, Chinook's Edge staff undertake two days of intensive training “where we invite our school-based administrators, our family wellness workers and our community partners” to participate, she said, noting that teachers and other staff members are also able to take the training if they wish to do so.
The training is overseen by school security expert Kevin Cameron, the director of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response.
Chinook's Edge has a weapons procedure in place, which calls for RCMP to be immediately called “if a criminal offence has been committed or a perceived danger to the well-being of staff or students exists” and “a threat assessment of the perpetrator should occur after the weapon is secured to ensure that appropriate interventions occur.”
The procedure defines a weapon as “a firearm of any description, a knife or similar item dangerous to others, or anything designed to be used for the purpose of threatening or intimidating any person.”
Any student possessing a weapon or replica of a weapon on any school property may be suspended or recommended for expulsion and the RCMP may be contacted.
“A student using, or threatening to use, a weapon shall be reported to the principal and may be reported to the RCMP. The principal shall suspend the student and may recommend to the superintendent that the student be expelled.
“The incident shall be recorded and the parent and the superintendent shall be advised of the incident and the actions taken and/or recommended.”
Meanwhile, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, which includes schools in Olds and Innisfail, has threat protocol procedures in place to deal with weapon possession and other high-risk incidents.
Under the procedure, high-risk behaviours include, but are not limited to, “possession of weapons, bomb threats, and threats to kill or injure others.”
In the event of a high-risk incident, “the school principal shall contact the police immediately and take steps to ensure the safety of all those in the school by activating established procedures such as school evacuation or school security lockdown.
“Immediate risk situations are those situations involving high-risk that require immediate police intervention, such as when a student is making a threat and is in possession of a weapon.”
Every school must designate a threat assessment team leader, who should be either a school administrator or school counsellor.
“Upon receiving a confirmed report of high-risk behaviour, the principal shall initiate the protocol for the response of the threat assessment team composed of the principal, counselor and police in order to assess the high-risk behaviour.”
