After a tragic mass shooting as a Nashville Christian elementary school, school leaders are working to add new safety measures.
After a threat in Oxford High School in Michigan, they use a nightlock door barricade. Michigan law actually requires this device to be in every school.
FOX 17 News spoke with Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard about how these devices work and why they're so effective.
"You think and hope and pray it'll never happen," says Sheriff Bouchard. "Sadly it's a strong possibility in this world that it will. Prepare. Prayer and hope are good, but they're not a strategy. Preparation is. Prepare for the worst, and hope and pray it never happens, but you're ready if it does."
Sheriff Bouchard also advised the Nashville community to get help and resources for first responders, law enforcement, fire services, and emergency medical services.
Sheriff Bouchard also applauds Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo for their quick response to the shooting. He says that if the worst happens, and there is an active intruder present, you must act immediately.
Go to the threat. No staging, no waiting. no delays, no additional resources...Go in. Seek out that threat and eliminate the threat because every second you wait, is a second that could cost a life with another pull of the trigger.
In November 2021, a teenage gunman shot and killed four people at a Michigan high school, but school leaders credit action taken ahead of time as a reason why more lives weren't lost. Recently, Michigan State University faced a shooting which claimed the lives of three students and critically injured five others.
Sheriff Bouchard says he believes the door barricade is very easy to deploy and a good way to keep people away from a active threat until help arrives.
Perry County in Middle Tennessee implemented door barricades after Sandy Hook eight years ago.
After speaking with nightlock, the biggest manufacturer of these door barricade devices across the country, their specific device is not installed at The Covenant School.
FOX 17 News has continuously pressed Metro Nashville Public Schools to install more security measures such as door barricades, ballistic glass, and an AL weapon detection system.
We will continue to follow school security across the Midstate and press for more safety measures put in place for children to protect further innocent lives.
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