Emergency response keeps secure, safe environment during potential threat
While the Oshkosh Skatepark has long provided a site for skate aficionados, it has also played host to moments of behavior ranging from mischievous to criminal. On October 22, another incident posed a potential threat to students of West. The Oshkosh Police Department posted on Facebook about the incident later in the afternoon with further details.
“At approximately 12:35 PM, Officers were dispatched to a disturbance taking place in the Skate Park (1570 Taft Avenue) involving several juveniles,” the post read. “While at that location, a 16-year-old male from Oshkosh took out the facsimile handgun and was pointing it at several people.”
The Police Department also reported the status of the safety of West regarding the incident.
“The male was taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct, Resisting an Officer, and seven counts of Recklessly Endangering Safety,” the post said. “During this incident, Oshkosh West High School was placed in a secure status for approximately 15 minutes. No one was injured during this disturbance.”
When incidents pose a threat to the school, administrators must quickly evaluate the severity of the situation and enact a course of response, according to Principal Rebecca Montour.
“We have to quickly decide if there is truly a safety concern, where the concern is located, and what is the best course of action to keep everyone safe,” she said “With an incident at the skatepark, we know that the best way to keep students and staff safe is to keep them in our building and away from what is happening.”
Communication is critical.
“Communication between administrators and the officers goes through Officer [Angel] Nunez,” Montour said. “He will communicate with OPD using his police radio, and relay the messages to West admin using either the school radio or Google Chat.”
In most instances where extra security measures are needed, administrators make the decision to go on a hold or lockdown. However, because this situation took place in a location outside the school, the precautions differed.
“A secure will always come from a police officer,” Montour said. “All other security measures: Hold, Lockdown, and Evacuate would come from a school administrator. If there is time, it is a team decision, but if we need to act quickly it will usually come from me. In the instance of an active shooter, anybody in the school can make the decision to alert the building and activate ALICE.”
Administrators must also carefully consider what information to share with students, staff, and families, both during and after security threats.
“Everything has to be presented as a ‘need to know’ because of confidentiality,” Montour said. “So we share as much relevant information as possible without breaching any confidentiality or privacy laws.”
In the future, she believes that clarification of the threat level should be prioritized.
“I think our initial announcement could have been more clear that there was no danger within the building and that students could go about their business as usual,” Montour said.
Despite any early confusion about the situation, Montour was impressed with how students and staff handled the secure.
“Students listened, did what was asked of them, and asked if there was anything they could do to help,” she said. “Staff also stepped up and helped out all over the building to secure doors and keep students calm.”
Overall, the goal in this scenario and others alike is to keep those affected as calm and secure as possible.
“Our number one goal is to keep everyone safe,” Montour said. “Beyond that, we want to have a calm situation where everyone knows what they are expected to do. We try to provide calm and consistent communication to alleviate fear so people know that they are safe.”
by Aria Boehler and Phoebe Fletcher
Published November 4th, 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue II