Lebanon High School held its first comprehensive lockdown drill in November, involving approximately 1,200 students, staff, and a range of local law enforcement agencies.
The exercise, coordinated by School Resource Officer Stephen Fountain, aimed to enhance emergency preparedness and ensure the school community is ready to respond to critical incidents.
The drill brought together multiple agencies, including the Lebanon Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Sweet Home Police Department, Albany School Resource Officer, Linn County Juvenile Department, and Linn County Parole and Probation officers.
Lockdown Procedures in Action
The drill followed a structured protocol designed to help students and staff respond effectively to emergencies. The mantra, “Lockdown means locks, lights, and out of sight,” guided participants as they locked doors, turned off lights, and moved out of sight from windows and doors.
Teachers and students also reviewed other emergency procedures following protocol:
- Secure: Get inside and lock exterior doors.
- Lockdown: Locks, lights, and out of sight.
- Evacuate: Leave the building if it is safe to do so.
Law enforcement officers, along with school administrators, went to every room, classroom or otherwise during the drill. Officers unlocked doors to check compliance and provided feedback. In most classrooms, students were positioned on the floor and away from sightlines per the emergency protocol.
Officer Fountain encouraged teachers to prioritize evacuation if it could be safely achieved in a real emergency.
“The goal is always to minimize risk and ensure the safety of everyone involved,” another officer said.
Valuable Lessons Learned
While the drill went smoothly overall, it revealed areas for improvement. A few students needed reminders to take the exercise seriously, and one student, caught in the hallway when the alarm sounded, was unable to access a classroom.
“We are very pleased. I think it went very well,” Superintendent Jennifer Meckley said. “We were able to see things that have worked well with the training. Most of the adults and kids did exactly as they were supposed to do. There were a couple of issues, which we can address. The partnership with all the agencies we worked with was incredible.”
The drill concluded with officers clearing classrooms, the final step in the lockdown protocol.
Collaborative Effort
The exercise highlighted the importance of collaboration between schools and law enforcement agencies.
“The district is grateful for our law enforcement partners helping us with this lockdown drill at LHS,” School District Communications Director Michelle Steinhebel said. “In total, we had almost 30 law enforcement professionals from three municipalities and three county agencies. We benefited from their direct feedback during the drill, and our students and staff demonstrated exceptional preparedness. While we hope we never have to use this safety exercise in a real situation, practicing these procedures is vital to ensuring we are prepared for an emergency.”
Looking Ahead
School officials plan to build on the lessons learned during the drill to further refine emergency procedures. Additional training sessions and future drills will incorporate feedback from this exercise to ensure continuous improvement.
As students resumed their regular schedules, school leaders underscored the importance of preparedness and collaboration. The drill was a significant step in creating a secure environment and fostering confidence in the school community’s ability to respond to potential emergencies.