T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK SWAT team officers respond during an active shooter training Wednesday at St. Clairsville High School and Middle School.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Law enforcement and first responders prepared for the worst should someone with a firearm invade one of the area schools with lethal intent.

The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Cumberland Trail Fire District, Barton Fire Department, and Maynard Fire Department converged on the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District Wednesday morning for an active-shooter training exercise.

At the sound of gunshots, students fled the building to meet in safe areas at the parking lot and police cruisers appeared with sirens blaring.

The sheriff’s department’s armored vehicle soon rolled in front of the high school and middle school complex and an armed and armored SWAT team disembarked.

Cries of people simulating wounds could be heard from the building before the responders entered to support local police.

Chief Deputy James Zusack of the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office said the exercise was under the authority of the St. Clairsville police, although the sheriff’s response team assisted. St. Clairsville Police Chief Matt Arbenz could not be reached for comment, but Superintendent Walt Skaggs said the drill went well and was completed by 10:30 a.m.

“We host that training every year for our first responders, and every year I think we improve or get better. I think they do an outstanding job and we’re thankful that they utilize our facilities so that they’re familiar with the layout of our buildings and where our students are located,” he said.

He said this scenario was a solo shooter who breached the entrance and barricaded in a classroom.

“I think a majority of the teachers and students were able to evacuate the building. Those that were in close proximity to the individual that was role-playing the shooter did barricade and stayed barricaded until they were cleared by the local law enforcement,” Skaggs said.

“We had a debriefing with the entire group of first responders and our safety team right after the training exercise ended,” he said. “We met and reviewed everything and we always learn a little more each time we do it. We’re blessed with some great individuals as first responders.”

School shootings have been an issue of concern in recent years, particularly following an incident in May in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School were killed by a shooter. The police on scene have since come under heavy criticism for a perceived delay in their response in breaching a classroom where the suspect was barricaded.