Drill prepares school for armed incidents
The forced closure of Homestead High School last month during the search for a gunman who hid nearby prompted school officials to stage an emergency drill. The drill was intended to prepare the school to respond to any similar incidents in the future.
More than 1,800 students and 150 teachers and staff members participated in a five-minute "green alert" drill at the school on Jan. 24, said Al Moreno, assistant principal of grounds and facilities.
Moreno said the drill required teachers to steer students into classrooms, then lock classroom doors. Staffers also looked for students wandering around campus and brought them to classrooms or workrooms.
Shades and drapes in rooms also were drawn for safety reasons. Administrators and custodians kept in touch via walkie talkies, Moreno said.
The school held the last alert three years ago and plans to hold one every year, he said.
School Principal David Payne suggested the drill after the school was closed on Jan. 11 while law-enforcement officers searched for Kristin Ray Himmelberger, 21. Police believe Himmelberger stole a car in Cupertino, fled north on Stelling Road and fired shots at the deputy sheriff who gave chase. The suspect fled on foot and disappeared into the neighborhood off Homestead Road between Mary Avenue and Hollenbeck Road.
The deputy, who returned shots, was uninjured. Police arrested Himmelberger several hours later.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 21, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.