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Public Safety

Emergency And School Officials Conduct School Shooting Drill In Poway

The sounds of gunfire will ring out today at Abraxas High School in Poway as sheriff's deputies, firefighters, school officials and teenage volunteers conduct a drill designed to simulate a school shooting.

The 3 1/2-hour event will begin around 1:45 p.m. and consist of two teams of deputies making their way through the campus with mock firearms to track down a gunman, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

In addition to finding and disarming the gunman, deputies will practice evacuating the campus and firefighters will "treat'' the wounded, who will be portrayed by teen volunteers.

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"It's a scenario that no one wants to think about, but deputies are ready to respond in the event a real emergency occurs,'' according to the sheriff's public affairs office. "The goal is to expose school personnel to law enforcement procedures so they know what to expect in the chaos of a real shooting scenario.''

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.