“Safety is not convenient,” School Resource Officer (SRO) Commander Lieutenant Darvin Couch told Fannin County Middle School teachers and staff members last week.
Couch made the comment following an active shooter drill at the school that focused on what actions should be taken in the event a shooter entered the building.
Couch’s words followed comments by Darren Danner, associate superintendent for Planning and Instruction, who said, “safety is imperative. We’re not going to play around.
Danner told the staff he had “zero complaints” with their responses during this year’s drill. He praised them for considerable improvement over a similar exercise the year before.
Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby summarized the partnership between the schools and the sheriff’s office saying, “I’m glad our school system takes this as seriously as they do.”
The sheriff talked about the importance of training and how preparation is important when a situation arises. He told the group it’s impossible to train for every possible situation, but when you are trained you are better equipped to handle whatever happens.
Besides the FCMS staff and sheriff’s deputies, administrators from the system’s central office took part in the drill.