More than 2,100 Hilliard City Schools employees practiced active-shooter scenarios alongside Hilliard police officers and Norwich Township firefighters on Aug. 17 at three school buildings that students walked into for the first day of classes Aug. 19.

The annual Safety Training Day shut Hilliard Darby High School, Hoffman Trails Elementary School and Heritage Middle School to the public starting after 8 a.m. while emergency personnel staged drills the district describes as intentionally challenging and realistic.

As we reported Aug. 13, the closures were announced in advance so families living near those campuses would not be alarmed by the heavy police and fire presence.

Stewart: 'Hope isn't a plan'

Superintendent Dave Stewart, in a statement released Aug. 8, framed the day as non-negotiable preparation.

"We all hope a day like this never comes but hope isn't a plan," Stewart said. "Our responsibility is to prepare, train, and continually improve so that if an emergency ever happens, we're ready to respond together."

Stewart said the scenarios give staff and first responders practice making difficult decisions under pressure. The district's protocol calls for teams to review their response and identify areas for improvement after each exercise, according to the district's official announcement.

The timing is deliberate. By drilling two days before students return, the district ensures every teacher, custodian and office staffer has rehearsed emergency protocols in the same hallways their students will fill.

A deeper police-schools partnership

The drills are one piece of a broader safety infrastructure. In February, Hilliard police Lt. Tyler Harris received the FBI Director's Award for creating a districtwide Threat Assessment and Threat Management Team with the school district. That program identifies students in crisis early and connects them with intervention before situations escalate, and it has become a model for other Central Ohio communities, according to the city of Hilliard.

"We are incredibly grateful for Lt. Harris and the entire Hilliard Division of Police for their leadership and steadfast commitment to keeping our students safe," Stewart said in February when the award was announced. "This recognition speaks not only to Lt. Harris's vision, but to the strength of our partnership."

Stacie Raterman, the district's director of communications, said the annual training strengthens coordination between school staff and first responders.