At 2:10 p.m. Thursday, Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) staff and students will undergo a lockdown exercise.

PCI Principal Lawrence McKenzie tells PortageOnline that they do four of these drills a year. However, this time, he says more RCMP will attend to identify areas where the school can improve its lockdown preparedness.

"We practice our lockdown drills in case there is an incident where the school has to go into lockdown, just like we practiced fire drills. We practice them with the hope of never having to use them." 

file photoPCI Principal Lawrence McKenzie.

McKenzie emphasizes the school's commitment to continuous improvement, stating that they are eager to delve deeper into their procedures and expectations for staff and students, ensuring everyone's safety. 

"By having the experts with the RCMP be here, they may be able to point out some things that we could be doing better to either get kids into safe spaces quicker or if there are some spots that maybe we've overlooked. Then we can build off of their expertise and get their feedback on how we can do things better." 

In a letter sent to parents earlier this week, PCI notes that parents, staff, and students can expect to have another surprise lockdown drill in the future to see if they have implemented the RCMP's suggestions properly.