Expert says cool heads needed to combat crises

COEUR d’ALENE — Your kids won’t talk to you about school safety because you freak out when the topic comes up.

That’s the message Jesus Villahermosa delivered to 162 parents and local residents at Lake City High School last week, the same day the school had received an unfounded but exasperating anonymous threat of a gunman in the parking lot.

Villahermosa, a retired SWAT team member from Pierce County, Wash., came here to teach adults about their part in school safety. He explained that parents can be their kids’ biggest ally in protecting themselves from lethal situations, but that parents need to calm down and be realistic with their kids instead of reacting emotionally to the topic.

“You want to stop the next school shooting in America? You better have a relationship with your kids. Have their trust, have outlets for them,” he said.

According to studies, school shooters had told an average of three people beforehand that they wanted to do the shooting, said Villahermosa. Why?

“Because they wanted someone to stop them,” he said. “The biggest part of the solution is right in front of us. It’s your kids. They know everything. Your kids have their finger on the pulse of your school.”

But students won’t talk to adults about school shootings because they don’t think they’ll be heard, he said.

“Don’t avoid the conversation because it seems scary. Not having the conversation is scarier,” he explained.

Don’t let K-5 students get exposed to the news reports of school shootings on television, because that can be psychologically damaging over time, said Villahermosa.

Instead, he said to “Talk about ‘what if’ situations and to provide accurate information, not just your opinion.”

Training is critical to enable people to deal properly with threats, he said. Know the school’s lockdown plan and assure your child that the school has a plan for his safety, he added.

Prior to his evening training session with parents Oct. 30, LCHS had experienced a tense situation when someone called in to report an alleged gunman in the school parking lot. Villahermosa said staff and law enforcement “did a great job” responding to the supposed threat.

However, he advised parents not to show up at the school during a lockdown because the cars block egress routes for ambulances. He also pointed out that there was a challenge because some parents wanted to enter LCHS to get their kids, but until the area is secured by law enforcement, teachers and kids should not open the school up to people outside the school building. Civilians today need to be educated like police have been for years, Villahermosa explained.

Villahermosa said the best immediate response to someone on a rampage at school is to duck, cover, move, and assess the situation. Then run like the wind.

“Don’t run in a straight line. Bullets move in a straight line,” he said, explaining that “Shooters aren’t tracking targets, just shooting the next, nearest targets.”

It’s OK to run in a zigzag, awkward pattern like the character Phoebe Buffay from the 1990s sitcom Friends, joked Villahermosa.

At the same time, he advised parents give their kids permission to do whatever they need to in order to survive an active shooter event. If you’re too close to get away, fight.

“Don’t be civil during an uncivil event,” he said.

Villahermosa also trained with administrators and law enforcement officers on Tuesday, and with students the following day.

For more information on Villahermosa or his training principles, go to: crisisrealitytraining.com