It’s been nine and a half months since the shooting occurred at Perry High School, and Perry Police Chief Jim Archer recalls how the department was able to prevent more lives from being taken.

Archer tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the Perry Police Department has put protocols in place for years prior to the unfortunate events on January 4th. He elaborates that they made a strong effort to prepare the students, staff members, and officers in the case that a dangerous situation happened. Archer says that mock training translated well on the morning of January 4th.

“Everybody did what they were supposed to do. From our officers to the school staff to the teachers to the students. Everybody listened to what we had to say in those trainings and that kind of thing, so when you prepare and you have that mindset that when this happens, this is what we’re going to do, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Archer is thankful that the police department went over those procedures with the school district, and claims that is a reason why more lives were saved. He wants to continue educating the community on safety measures to take during unforeseen circumstances.