As students of varying ages, many school children often dread or walk through school safety drills with little interest.

For Wright City junior Brody Buttry, the R-II district-wide safety drills, which took place in mid-January and included tornado, fire and intruder drills, served as an important reminder of the readiness students need to have every day for potentially harmful situations.

“Having first responders here made it feel real and helped us simulate what could really happen,” Buttry said.

In conjunction with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Wright City Fire Protection District, safety drills were held at the elementary, middle and high schools.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Matt Abernathy said that everyone involved in drills plays a key role in keeping the district’s schools safe.

“In the event of an emergency, the safety of our students and staff is a shared responsibility,” Abernathy said. “While our staff plays a critical role, we also depend on strong partnerships with local first responders. For that reason, we felt it was important to invite them to work alongside us during our drills.”

While it was valuable for students to run through the necessary drills, Abernathy added that the district gained valuable insights into how well prepared each school and the district, as a whole, are.

Along with the information, the chance for students to gain a level of comfort around members of the law enforcement and emergency services community is also meaningful.

“The Missouri State Highway Patrol, our School Resource Officers and the Wright City Fire Protection District provided valuable feedback and identified areas for improvement,” Abernathy said. “Just as important, these drills give students the opportunity to interact with first responders who would be familiar, trusted faces in a real emergency.”

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Andrew D. Gadberry, from the entity’s Public Information and Education Division, added that from a first-responder’s perspective, having the district reach out to local authorities for assistance was a valuable resource.

"The Wright City School District invited the Highway Patrol to attend their intruder drill and I was pleased to be able to assist them in the drill,” Gadberry said. “I appreciate the district reaching out and allowing us to be a part of their training and hope that I was able to provide valuable feedback that they can use in the future.”

Gadberry added that the district’s efforts to involve local agencies are commendable. The partnerships formed can have a lasting impact on youngsters in the district.

“Their willingness to reach out and seek advice from other agencies shows their willingness to learn and to provide the safest atmosphere possible for their students as they learn and grow," Gadberry said.