Humble ISD, other agencies take action to prevent active shooter situations through training
HUMBLE, Texas (KTRK) -- Classes are now entirely in session in and around the state, and the one thing at the top of the list is safety for schools, especially for the Humble Independent School District.
Humble ISD and other agencies such as The Sheriff's Office, Precinct 4 constables, and Humble police implemented their training at an empty Kingwood Middle School on Sunday.
ABC13 reporter Brooke Taylor was the only reporter there to witness the plan in action.
This comes after the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman went to Robb Elementary School and shot and killed two teachers and 19 students on May 24.
RELATED: Uvalde residents question school district's new safety plans for 1st school year since mass shooting
The school shooting also revealed the delayed response of law enforcement, who have come under intense scrutiny.
Humble ISD police chief Solomon Cook said his officers would prepare themselves for anything.
"It will not happen at Humble ISD. Our people are trained to stop the killing," Cook said.
WATCH HERE: ABC's Brooke Taylor speaks with Humble ISD police chief
Texas requires all campus police officers to have active shooter training. But there is no standard for how regularly an officer should train-making it a one-time requirement.
While not required of the district, Chief Cook wants his officers to undergo additional scenario based training when they can. Officers were able to take advantage of the former middle school, which first opened in 1977, and is no longer used for students.
Inside the training, officers underwent multiple simulated systems, such as breaching classroom doors and taking down a shooter
"We want to make sure we are prepared for any situation. Even though we carry keys, there could be a lock that could be just changed or broken. We want to make sure nothing stops us from going in and stopping the kill," the chief said.
The district houses 48,000 students over 47 campuses with about 50 school officers. If needed, surrounding law enforcement would be able to respond in case of an emergency.
"We go through several scenarios if we have to test these security measures if there was an active attack here," Chief Cook said.
While Chief Cook, the president of the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association, is confident that his officers are prepared in any situation, that is not the case for all, including Houston Independent School District, the largest district in the state.
Superintendent Millard House II of HISD left parents shocked after stating that HISD's officers were not prepared in case of an active shooter scenario in August.
"As we've studied the Uvalde scenario and the proper preparation, officers wouldn't be prepared," House said.
To train the officers and better prepare them, HISD's board approved $2 million to buy new equipment, such as tactical gear.
SEE ALSO: HISD asks school board to fund police equipment for active attack responses
"Practice always helps. We want to make sure our people are prepared and have good knowledge," Cook explained.
WATCH: Humble ISD Police Chief respond to Uvalde law enforcement response:
According to reports, the Uvalde police had undergone active shooter training two months before the mass shooting.
"Something in their system obviously didn't work. Something was broken," Cook said.
The chief says he hopes his district's action can lead by example for others to follow.
"Sometimes those districts have to look deep and decide what can they cut from the budget, what can they do to support their police department. To protect their children, " Cook said.
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