ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – On Monday, the New York State Board of Education approved new regulations on school shooter drills, banning certain practices and instituting new requirements. Under the new rules, schools must inform both students and parents about upcoming drills up to a week in advance. Additionally, the use of actors and props designed to mimic real shooting situations will no longer be permitted.
John LaPlaca, who runs a consulting organization that works with schools to organize active shooter drills, voiced his support for the new regulations.
“Some schools have taken the position to say, well, if they think it's a drill, they're not going to act in an appropriate manner. And we couldn't disagree more,” said LaPlaca. He emphasized that the goal of drills should not be to replicate the stress of a real emergency event. “If someone is only thinking about potentially facing a catastrophic situation, they're not going to be listening to instructions on what to do, how to do it, and how to get better. These stressful situations actually interfere with the learning process.”
Dr. Rudy Nydegger, a psychologist, supported LaPlaca's viewpoint, citing evidence that fear can hinder learning.
“The more distracted and afraid a person is while they're learning something, the less likely they are to perform well,” said Nydegger. “You're creating a situation where they might fear for their lives when, in fact, it's not a real threat. And you're going to start getting kids who are afraid to go to school because of these kinds of concerns.”
The new regulations are set to take effect in September. One parent, Jerry Ford, expressed relief over the changes.
“I was dropping my high school son off, and there was a drill that took place right in the parking lot of the school. He was petrified,” Ford shared. “We can still walk through the drills, but we just don't need all those. The guns. I mean, even if they're replicas, even if they're fake, they resemble a real thing.”
While some parents welcomed the new regulations, others believe realistic drills are effective. The New York State Department of Education has not yet responded to requests for a statement.
