Hillsborough Schools To Conduct Lockdown, Evacuation Drills

TAMPA, FL - All Hillsborough County school principals are being directed to conduct lockdown and evacuation drills this week on their campuses, Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins announced Monday.

The drills are being conducted following the mass shooting at a Parkland high school last week and the shooting deaths of 14 students, 2 coaches and a teacher.

"We appreciate the media interest, but to protect our security measures for the safety of students and staff, the lockdown and evacuation drills will not be open to the media. There will be no video opportunities provided and we ask media not to attempt to cover the drills as it may reveal details about our procedures," Eakins said in a press release.

The lockdown and evacuation drills will be conducted at each school between Tuesday and Friday of this week. School officials said this will not be a surprise drill. Teachers are being asked to talk with students before the drill and make it clear this is only practice.

The drills will involve taking cover, locking doors and staying quiet. There will be no loud noises, no simulations or demonstrations of intruders and no violent images, school officials said.

The teachers will then lead students through an evacuation drill, just like the normal fire drill they do every month, school officials said.

A lockdown is how students and staff would respond to an active, immediate threat on campus. The goal is for students and staff to practice this procedure and walk through the steps, school officials said.

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