Thursday, November 7, 2019 ~ SOOKE
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Today Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) in Sooke went into Hold and Secure mode for about two hours in the early afternoon, after the Sooke RCMP detachment received a complaint that a man was possibly planning a serious incident at a Sooke school.
Using the information given, the Sooke RCMP — in partnership with Sooke School District 62 (SD62) — decided to institute the ‘hold and secure’ procedure at EMCS which is at 6218 Sooke Road (east of Sooke River Road) until RCMP determined there was no longer a threat.
EMCS provides public education at Grade levels 9 to 12. It is one of three high schools in SD62 (there is also Belmont Secondary School in Langford and Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood).
During a Hold and Secure, all school perimeter doors are locked and no-one is permitted to leave or enter the building. This procedure allows inside work activity to continue as normal. Schools practice this sort of drill each year.
The Sooke RCMP partnered with the Victoria police and the West Shore RCMP and later located the suspect who was arrested and remains in custody. The hold and secure was lifted by 2:45 pm before school dismissal time.
“This incident was resolved quickly and safely due to the quick actions of the faculty at EMCS, the school district and our partners at Victoria Police and the West Shore RCMP Detachment: said Sooke RCMP detachment commander S/Sgt Brett Sinden.
Hold and Secure and Lockdown are two very different courses of action. Unlike during a Hold and Secure event where activities continue as usual inside the school, during a Lockdown all perimeter and inside classroom/office doors are locked, windows are covered and staff and students remain still, quiet and out of sight.
Within SD62 policy some examples of Hold and Secure situations include:
– Police incident nearby (search warrants, K9 track, high-risk arrests nearby)
– Serious car accidents nearby
– Bear on school property
– Downed trees/power lines/residential gas leak/house fire
==== RELATED:
There was a Hold and Secure incident in April 2019 at two elementary schools in the west shore.