TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In response to the ongoing threat of school shootings, this week Desert View High School is playing host to a comprehensive active shooter preparedness workshop aimed at equipping students and staff with critical response strategies.
The training, led by the Pima County Sheriff's Department in collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies, focused on the "Run, Hide, Fight" protocol endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Over a three-day period, participants engage in realistic scenarios designed to simulate potential threats on campus.
"The times that we live in, it does seem to happen often," said Laura Goss, a special education teacher at Desert View High School. "I just want to keep the students that I work with safe."
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos emphasized the importance of inclusive training.
"We're probably gonna put through about 350... That’s what we do on average every year," Nanos said. "Any employee, it could be from the custodian, to the cafeteria, to a teacher to a principal."
Deputy Elliott Lyle, a school resource officer, highlighted the value of the training sessions.
"When they come away from the training, they have more purpose behind it," Lyle said. "They have some solutions to some problems."
The urgency of a rapid response was underscored by Sheriff Nanos.
"Because every second counts, right?," he said. "Every trigger pull takes a second. How many kids are getting hit?"
The workshops are part of a broader initiative by the Pima County Sheriff's Department to enhance school safety across the region.
The department, in partnership with organizations like Integrated Community Solutions to Active Violence Events (ICSAVE), has been conducting similar training sessions throughout the county.
The Sunnyside Unified School District, which includes Desert View High School, has maintained a longstanding partnership with local law enforcement to host annual active shooter training sessions.
This summer, there are three other scheduled sessions:
- Andrada High School, June 10 -12 ;
- Marana High School, July 14 -16
- Wilson K-8 July 21 -23
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is seeking additional volunteer teachers and students to participate in upcoming drills. Interested individuals can find more information here.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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