Three Hilliard schools closed Monday for districtwide safety drills

Hilliard residents near three school buildings will see police cruisers, fire trucks and emergency personnel Aug. 17, but there is no emergency. Hilliard City Schools is asking neighbors to stay away from all three sites for the day.

The district announced Aug. 12, that its annual Safety Training Day will close Hilliard Darby High School, Hoffman Trails Elementary School and Heritage Middle School to the public while more than 2,100 district employees run through emergency scenarios with the Hilliard Division of Police and the Norwich Township Fire Department.

Hilliard Darby is the primary exercise site. Hoffman Trails Elementary will serve as the staging area for emergency personnel. Heritage Middle School is also closed, though the district did not specify its role in the exercises. Drills begin after 8 a.m., according to Hilliard Beacon reporting.

Portions of the training may include simulated emergency activity visible from surrounding neighborhoods. The district's announcement stressed that no actual emergency is taking place and asked community members to avoid all three locations "so participants can complete the training safely and without interruption."

The exercises have been an annual event for at least eight years. Norwich Township Fire Department posted about joining a similar large-scale drill as far back as August 2018.

Superintendent Dave Stewart, speaking to the Hilliard Beacon on Aug. 8, said the district takes the training seriously. "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."

District communications director Stacie Raterman coordinated the public messaging around the event, according to the Beacon's reporting. Following each exercise, teams review their response and identify areas for improvement, the district said.

The Safety Training Day falls the same day as the district's scheduled Meet the Teacher event, listed on the back-to-school calendar for 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 17. The district's safety announcement did not address whether that evening event will proceed as planned. The first day of school for the 2026-27 year is Aug. 19.

What to know:

When: Monday, Aug. 17, starting after 8 a.m.
Where: Hilliard Darby High School (exercises), Hoffman Trails Elementary (staging), Heritage Middle School (closed)
What to expect: Increased police, fire and emergency vehicle presence; simulated emergency activity
What to do: Avoid all three locations so training can proceed safely and without interruption

Upcoming community dates: