By Charles Lussier
The Advocate
BATON ROUGE, — La. In a scenario eerily reminiscent of recent school shootings, two police officers, acting as gunmen, twice entered McKinley Middle School on Thursday to simulate what might happen during such a tragedy.
Using paint balls instead of bullets, the gunmen in the first assault “killed” 11 individuals posing as students and “wounded” 14 more.
The second time, the shooters “killed” one and “injured” another.
The difference? Local law enforcement responded to the first shooting using conventional techniques, but had little idea of what was going on until they began painstakingly exploring the school.
The second time, they moved much faster, zeroing in on the shooters from the beginning using a high-tech security system that offered law enforcement and emergency personnel real-time information about what was happening throughout McKinley Middle.
Although a drill, the simulations struck close to home for many of the participants; they had responded to the shootings in February at Louisiana Technical College, which claimed the lives of two young women.
Police Chief Jeff LeDuff said security systems such as the one at McKinley Middle help tip the balance toward law enforcement.
“It gives our children a fighting chance,” LeDuff said.
In a ceremony that preceded the simulations, local leaders hailed McKinley Middle as the first school to employ the NetTalon System 3000.
The price tag for McKinley was $75,000 for installation, with additional annual fees for monitoring.
“We take seriously our responsibility to keep students safe in our buildings,” East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent Charlotte Placide said.
V.J. Bella, who served for years as state fire marshal and is now a part-time consultant for NetTalon, said he first observed the Fredericksburg, Va., company demonstrate its “virtual command” system in 2006 and was sold on it.
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said the quicker law enforcement knows something is happening, the better.
“We know that every moment we’re delayed in entering that building, people are going to die,” Gautreaux said.
The NetTalon system gives first responders an array of information they haven’t traditionally had: They can log onto a special site to watch streaming video of halls and stairwells, examine blueprints of the campus, see whether individuals in hallways are moving thanks to motion sensors, and use temperature gauges to isolate where a fire has erupted.
School officials have access to the same information, but gain other protection.
Selected doors and glass panels in doors in strategic areas are bullet-resistant and teachers have electronic keys to alert authorities of an emergency and lock the doors to their rooms.
During Thursday’s simulations, the ability to lock classrooms immediately was especially useful.
During the first simulation, the gunmen “shot” their way through classroom doors and were able to quickly create carnage.
The second time, the new locks and panels stymied them and allowed law enforcement to isolate the two assailants in a stairwell before they could hurt anyone else.
Donald Jones, director of corporate development at NetTalon, said the system is the culmination of almost a decade of work.
“We understood that police and fire departments didn’t have the data they needed,” Jones said.
LSU’s University High plans to install the system in phases in the next year, and Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans has purchased the system and hopes to have it installed soon.
Thursday’s simulations were displayed on a large screen in McKinley Middle’s auditorium for an audience that included law enforcement officials from across the state. Another simulation is planned for today.
As the events unfolded onscreen, LeDuff explained to the audience what was going on, often adding personal testimony from the February shootings at Louisiana Technical College, in which Tanieshia Butler and Karsheika Graves were killed.
“I’ve lost the opportunity to say, ‘Oh God, not me,’” LeDuff said of having to respond to a major school shooting.
“But I’m proud to say that if it comes to this school, we really have a fighting chance.”
Copyright 2008 The Advocate