Learning and safety for students go hand-and-hand as an utmost priority at Pattonville. That’s why the district requires all teachers to go through 4E Training yearly which provides educators knowledge of what to do if an intruder enters the school.
“I think that whether you use a chair or the new Block, it’s all about practicing so that if worse-comes-to-worse, it can be used efficiently,” Ms. Susan Saputo said. “I think it’s a really great idea though.”
The training is called 4E and teachers learn how to Educate, Escape, Evade and Engage, an options-based emergency response program.
4E was developed by Tier One Tactical Solutions and is being used by the St. Louis County Police Department. The half-day training program which was conducted on August 8 included lecture and discussion, followed by hands-on training that provided staff with effective responses to active intruder situations.
Industrial Technology teachers at the high school designed the wood blockades that were given to every teacher last week.
“Myself and the other wood shop teacher (Mr. Darrell Langston) made them over the summer because of time restraints,” Mr. Jonathon Saettele said. “We would have liked for the kids to make them but we just didn’t have the time.”
The 2×4 piece of wood has a magnet attached to it that allows the board to stick to the metal door frame and has a zip tie that can be fastened to a door handle. This tool blocks the door from being opened by any intruder trying to enter a classroom when the school is on lock down mode even if the door is not locked.
In last year’s training, it was advised that teachers use chairs, desks and other pieces of furniture to jam the door handles and block the doors. The issue with this is that if not done properly, the door could easily open. It also damaged door frames and would scratch and take off paint from the doors and walls, and if not done correctly, it was not as efficient as hoped.
Maryland Heights Police Officer DeVouton who is a School Resource Officer is proud of the school for taking precautions against intruders.
“I think it’s a good idea because if someone wants to come in to hurt the kids, the Block eliminates the intruder’s entrance.”
