Photo Provided Local agencies gather at Barnesville High School to participate in a tabletop exercise that enhances emergency preparedness and improves the district’s safety plan.

BARNESVILLE — Barnesville Exempted Village School District is enhancing its emergency preparedness and improving the district’s safety plan.

Barnesville schools had a tabletop exercise Jan. 3 at the high school that was in partnership with the Ohio School Safety Center. Representatives from various local agencies and stakeholders participated in the exercise, including OSSC facilitators Adam Chellis and J.D. Grecol, Belmont County Emergency Management Director Dave Ivan, EMA assistant director Glenn Trudo, village Police Chief Rocky Sirianni, Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Brian McFarland, Barnesville Fire Chief Tim Hall, Kim Young from WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital and Barnesville schools Safety Committee representative Leslie Shultz.

Facilitators from the OSSC created five or six exercises, which were all related to an active shooter situation, requiring participants to brainstorm how their buildings would respond to various situations.

Participants were divided into their respective groups of elementary, middle, high school and administration to discuss their responses and then reported their actions to the OSSC facilitator. Any questions about the process or district response were directed to Superintendent Micah Fuchs.

The exercise simulated emergency scenarios to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the district’s safety plan. It encouraged open dialogue, brainstorming and collaborative problem-solving among participants, according to Fuchs.

Fuchs noted some key outcomes that came from the exercise included a refined district safety plan based on suggestions and insights from participants, plans to implement a Run, Hide, Fight training in the fall to equip staff with practical emergency response strategies and strengthened partnerships with local first responders and community leaders.

The Run, Hide, Fight training offered by OSSC is a hands-on training session where the OSSC team teaches staff various strategies for responding to an active shooter situation. The goal is to empower staff members to make informed decisions to protect themselves and their students during such events, Fuchs said.

Barnesville schools plan to continue collaborating with local agencies to refine and enhance safety measures, Fuchs added, in addition to the training in the fall.

“We are grateful for the expertise and dedication of all the agencies and individuals who participated. This exercise demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and our collective commitment to ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” he said.

Fuchs noted that every three years, school districts in Ohio are required to conduct a tabletop exercise to prepare for a hazardous event, so Barnesville schools chose to include OSSC in their exercise to help identify any weaknesses in their responses and improve overall preparedness.

The OSSC will review the responses from the exercise to identify areas in the district’s safety plan that need improvement or adjustments. Once it collects and analyzes the information, it will share the findings with the district.

Fuchs mentioned how the exercise involved all district staff members, not just building safety teams. It required staff to think critically about how they would respond in stressful situations. Participants brainstormed strategies and actions they could use during each scenario.

“This mental preparation is crucial as it helps staff process how they would react and respond in various emergencies,” he said. “These exercises build a foundation of experiences that can help staff make quick, informed decisions during a real-life emergency.”