NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — In the wake of the shooting at Richneck Elementary School, as well as dozens of other school shootings across the country, two organizations - Childcare Aware and the Institute for Childhood Preparedness - are teaming up to provide active shooter training geared toward protecting children 5-years-old and under across Virginia.
On Saturday, the groups will host training opportunities will be held in Newport News.
“It's every early childhood professionals nightmare to have to deal with somebody coming into your program that is not safe have an idea of how to hide the children and how to keep the environment safe,” Donna Wilson-Peal with Childcare Aware told our sister station, WUSA.
Executive director of the Institute for Childhood Preparedness, Andy Roszak, came up with the program nine years ago after not seeing any training of the type for early childhood centers.
Roszak says in case of an emergency protocols for those caring for infants and toddlers will be different.
“It is very, very different working with a 2-month-old than a high schooler,” he said. “We have to have a way to do this that takes into account just really the limitations of a two-month-old, a two-year old, who aren’t going to be able to walk, who aren’t going to be able to follow directions and aren’t going to have that mental capacity to process what’s going on."
The training comes on as the community continues to heal after police say a six-year-old shot his teacher inside Richneck Elementary School in January. However, Roszak they are scheduled the training prior to the incident, and it is not in response to the shooting.
As described on their website: "The live 3-hour in-person course has been specifically designed for those working in early childhood education. The session will be conducted by the Institute for Childhood Preparedness, a national organization that helps early childhood programs prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters."
They said those that take the class will learn:
- Evidence-based techniques and strategies to prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident
- How to conduct safety drills, develop a customized plan, and work together to ensure staff, teachers, and children are best prepared to respond to any at-risk situation.
- Strategies to keep children calm and quiet during crisis.
They also made a point to emphasize that the course is "designed to prepare early childhood professionals, not scare them," and that they would not be using any live or simulated ammunition in this training.
The training session will be held April 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church and Child Care Center, 765 J Clyde Morris Blvd, in Newport News.
The session is already booked, and same day registration is not available.
However, people can learn more about the organization and future trainings on their website at: https://stage.worklifesystems.com/ProfessionalDevelopmentClassSearch/Index/25