How Realistic Should Active Shooter Drills Be?

A major part of school security is preparedness for the unthinkable. Active shooter drills are one way to prepare students, teachers, and administrators for an event.

But law enforcement and school districts continue to struggle with the question of how realistic should these drills be. In early April, at Snowflake High School in Snowflake, Arizona, the school conducted an unannounced drill.

According to local news station 12News, instead of bell for a drill, a “more serious” bell rang.

School District Superintendent Hollis Merrell described the bell to the station:

"It audibly says, 'This is not a drill,' but it doesn't give any indication as to what may be happening at the school. It's just locked down. This is not a drill. The police are on their way," Merrell said.

The Taylor-Snowflake Police Department approached the school to make the active shooter drill more realistic. It was designed to mimic a real emergency situation.

Because of the approach, students, some staff, and parents were unaware of the drill. Some students assumed the worse and texted parents that there was an active shooter on campus.

Police Chief Robert Martin said the unannounced drill idea came after a previous drill in late 2024 where he felt students were not taking the drill seriously.

Obviously, students should take every drill seriously. But that sometimes doesn’t happen. High schoolers can simply be high schoolers and not understand how important drills are to prepare the school community.

I understand Chief Martin’s frustrations, but the unannounced drill likely took the situation too far.

Communication and trust between everyone are undeniably important parts of school security at any level. While students at Snowflake High School will likely start taking drills more seriously, why dent those bonds between the school, community at large, and law enforcement? There are better ways to make the point.

This article originally appeared in the May / June 2025 issue of Campus Security Today.

About the Author

Brent Dirks is senior editor for Security Today and Campus Security Today magazines.

Featured

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • 77% of Americans Support Gun Detection Technology in Schools, Workplaces, and Houses of Worship

    More than three-quarters of Americans (77.4%) believe gun detection technology should be deployed in schools, workplaces, and other public spaces, according to new survey data released recently. The national survey shows strong support for incorporating camera-based gun detection into existing video surveillance systems. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

Most   Popular