ROGERS, Ark. — With classes back in session across the country, schools are trying to stay prepared for an active threat, making changes when needed, and it’s not any different in our own backyard.
Rogers Police Department (RPD) public information officer Keith Foster gave 5NEWS some insight into what goes into keeping students and teachers safe without giving away too many details — for safety reasons.
"Our main concern in an active shooter situation is to stop the threat," Foster said. "A lot of times that's going to mean you're bypassing the injured, but our systems have evolved over the years. We have one team that's responding to the threat, we've got another team that's coming in behind and then starting to deal with the injured, get them out to safety."
The district is putting its own efforts into keeping up with safety, in part due to the requirements put in place by the Arkansas LEARNS Act.
"One of those requirements is locks all the doors ... security is about limiting access," Foster said. "From my point of view as an officer, I want to stop who can get into a room, but then also you've got the fire department, and theirs is, 'Well, we want to be able to get people out.'"
"There's a balance between keeping people out, but then still letting people get out if they need to," Foster added.
New data shows there is support for requiring schools to provide first responders real-time visibility into security cameras. Foster said Rogers doesn't have that.
"Most of the schools now have gone to where you can't just walk in," he said. "There are video cameras there to let you in, all the doors are locked, they can see who's there, they can buzz you in like that. That's, again, that's just part of the safety protocols."
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