Letter: Training, drills work with school lock-down

Dear Editor:

It is great when all the training and drills that are done, an event occurs and everything works as it was planned.

Such was the case on Monday, Jan. 26 when the Troy schools received the call that all school officials dread – two escaped convicts are on the run in town, they are considered armed and dangerous and one has already been involved in a hostage and shootout with law enforcement.

The schools immediately went into lock-down mode – something we had drilled many times before. To complicate things more, we were nearly at the end of the school day and the buses were already preparing to pick up the kids.

So, many people are to be congratulated for an exceptional job of insuring that our kids and community were safe.

• The three Troy City Police officers who responded immediately to begin the search.

• The school secretaries who calmly called parents to let them know that their children would be home late.

• The amazing dispatcher, Jody, who juggled three phone lines and radio communications with many different agencies.

• The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

• The Montana Highway Patrol.

• The U.S. Forest Service law enforcement.

• U.S. Border Patrol.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bad guys were captured and sent back to jail, the kids went home, albeit a little late, and all of us feel a lot safer knowing that when put to use, all of the training and drills really do work.

Once again we find that teamwork, practice and communication can bring a happy ending to almost any situation.

Brady Selle, Superintendent

Troy School District