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CLARION - With a little more than two months since Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas was fatally shot in the school's weight room, school safety is in the spotlight of national attention.

For one thing, the shooting showed that no town - no matter how small - is immune to danger when someone with a gun intends to use it.

The Clarion-Goldfield School District and Wright County Emergency Management worked together Thursday afternoon to prepare for a worst-case scenario that organizers said could happen anywhere, anytime.

Dr. Bob Olson, superintendent of the Clarion-Goldfield School District, said he understands the importance of preparing for the worst.

"I hope (the exercise) isn't important at all, but unfortunately these things do happen," Olson said. "It's better to be overprepared than to not do anything at all. Plus, it's a good opportunity for all of our safety patrol officers to practice."

In a full-scale disaster drill, five "bad guys" became active shooters, essentially causing the school to be locked down, and then law enforcement officials had to react and negotiate the situation as though it was a real emergency - complete with a triage center, and with armed peace officers evacuating the area and transporting the "wounded" to area hospitals.

The wounded were students, teachers and police officers who wore flesh-colored wounds and were covered in fake blood. Some "wounded" could walk, but others had to be carried out.

It was as close to an actual shooting and hostage situation as officials hope to ever get.

In addition to Wright County and Clarion agencies and responders, Eagle Grove and Belmond Emergency Medical Services, Humboldt County Emergency Management and the North Iowa Narcotics Task Force Special Operations Group from Mason City were all on the scene. The SOG group came in at the end to negotiate a hostage situation scenario that resulted from one of the shooters.

Wright County Sheriff Paul Schultz stressed how important these tactical exercises could prove to be.

"From a local standpoint, it gives us the training and the ability to handle a situation like this if we need to," Schultz said. "Unfortunately a lot of these things happen in small-town America and we, as local officials, feel that it's very important to be prepared."

Thursday's scenario was the culmination of more than a year spent training among the different agencies.

Clarion Police Chief Steven Hennigar reiterated Schultz's point of how important it is for all law enforcement to be ready to work together.

"We hope it never happens, but if it does we want to train the best we can train so hopefully we don't have anyone hurt or wounded," Hennigar said.

Wright County Supervisors Chairman Stan Watne said the county stands behind the drill.

"We really want to support all of our local agencies working together," Watne said. "The more they work together, the more they know each other and that's a big part of being successful."

As far as the overall drill, Jim Lester, Wright County County Emergency Management coordinator and chief deputy of the Wright County Sheriff's Office, said it was a success.

"The exercise went really well," Lester said. "Everybody learned from it and that's why we do these things. We've had some really good communication from the school system and from law enforcement - and everybody involved. I was very pleased with the effort and response from everybody that participated."

Contact Angela Burch at (515) 573-2141 or aburch@messengernews.net