STORY AND PHOTO BY JONAS CORLISS, STAFF WRITER
Cypress College conducted its annual active shooter drill on April 11 at 10:20 a.m. in response to the increase in school shootings in the country within the past several years.
The announcement regarding the drill was posted on the Cypress College website on March 21 and a second notice was sent to faculty, staff, and student emails from Campus Safety on April 9. In addition, the Cypress Chronicle uploaded an Instagram post notifying followers of the event on April 11.
The drill follows an incident in which a police drill, including tactical SWAT units carrying out drills in the Fine Arts building, was held on campus on March 4 without campus staff and students being notified.
Following backlash regarding the lack of communication regarding the police drill, President Dr. Scott W. Thayer issued an email to staff providing context and a commitment to better communication in the future. “We can and we will do better in making sure you are aware of important information. This is part of being invested in a shared journey, and it is our responsibility and commitment to you,” stated Thayer in his response.
The Chronicle is investigating the police drill incident and has requested legal documents that explain the agreements made with the Buena Park Police Department. The request was made on March 13, 2024 and no documents have been provided.
Despite the various notifications sent regarding the drill, many people, including students and staff, were unaware of the drill or learned about it just before it began. When the first notification was sent out there was general confusion and concern coming from students who were not aware of the annual drill beforehand.
During the event, one professor, Katrina Tomas of Career and Life Planning, asked her class how many of them did not know the drill was happening before it started. Around a quarter of the class raised their hands, with many saying they found out it was happening shortly before it started. Once everyone was aware of what was happening during the drill, students were annoyed with having to wait through the drill with the classroom lights turned off.
Students and staff were sent three separate notifications at the drill’s start, during, and completion.
The first notification stated, “This is a drill. This is a drill. CC: Cypress College is holding an active shooter drill. Drill scenario: There is an active shooter on campus. Shelter in place, turn off lights, silence cell phones. Remember the RUN-HIDE-FIGHT method. This is a drill.”
The second notification stated that the shooter had been captured but to remain sheltered in place.
Finally, the last notification stated that it was now safe to resume normal activities. Every notification was sent to staff and students via text message, email, and phone call. The drill lasted 15 minutes, afterward all who participated resumed normal activities.
