Call for NZ schools to prepare for shooting
Updated
New Zealand police are calling for schools to put in place an emergency response strategy, in the event of a shooting massacre similar to those that have happened in the United States and other countries.
The New Zealand School Trustees Association is holding its annual conference in Christchurch this week and police say it is a good opportunity to discuss the realities of a shooting incident.
Commander of the national tactical group, Superintendent Bruce Dunstan, has told the New Zealand Herald, it is not a matter of if, but when a shooting will happen in a school.
He says while schools plan for emergencies such as earthquakes, flooding and fires, few if any are prepared for an armed incident.
Commander Dunstan says while the force does not want to create panic, it would like schools to think about how they would respond, in order to minimise chaos, if faced with a violent scenario.
