4E Intruder Training

The Ritenour School District is committed to taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff members. Ritenour has made preparations to deal effectively with emergency situations that could occur in or around schools while classes are in session.

Since the 2014-2015 school year, all Ritenour School District staff and students regularly participate in safety training and drills to teach them what to do if an armed intruder enters a school or district building.

The district’s intruder drills provide staff and students with an options-based response that adhere to guidelines and procedures recommended by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As part of the training, staff and students learn how to use the 4E’s (Educate, Evade, Escape, Engage) in situations involving an armed intruder.  

Local emergency responders have taught Ritenour staff different ways to secure and barricade a door, as well as how to quickly decide whether the safest course of action in a given situation would be to remain inside a barricaded room, try to escape to a safe location or to engage the intruder. Staff practice these procedures with students during planned emergency drills.