Prosper Police Department announced their statewide mandatory training exercise that will take place on Thursday, Oct. 26. They are one of the five municipalities hosting the training, which will be held at Children’s Health Stadium and the Prosper Central Fire Station from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Although details have not been released to the public, the training is likely intended to simulate a real life crisis that that the police, fire department and other officials will have to respond to.  Students and staff should be aware that this exercise will take place during the school day, and expect a heavy increase of law enforcement from multiple agencies. The exercise may involve helicopters. According to authorities, the event will pose no threat to the public.

ADVISORY: Please be advised that Prosper, Texas will be one of five municipalities hosting statewide law enforcement training exercises next Thursday, October 26.

View all details here: https://t.co/911HMeRI7O pic.twitter.com/DhSyLQvXql

— Prosper Police Dept (@ProsperPD) October 18, 2023

Student journalists from all three high schools also will be allowed to participate in the event, which will include a press conference about the day’s happenings.

Three students from each PISD high school will be given the opportunity to report at the mock press conference. Each student journalist will hold a different role, reporting for the newspaper, broadcast program, or for print. The experience will enable students to do real-world reporting and see how law enforcement responds to a crisis situation.

Lyndsey Hamlin, Prosper ISD Communications Coordinator, said she believes the experience will help young reporters learn the roles of professional journalists.

“This will provide students with an opportunity to participate in a mock press conference,” Hamlin said. “With several people from different law enforcement divisions — the press conference is going to be in response to the events happening that day.”

Rock Hill High School, Journalism and Media teacher Margie Raper said she looks forward to the experiences the young journalists will have throughout the day’s events.

“The opportunity to be included, as journalists, storytellers and observers of this law enforcement training,” Raper said,  “will provide our students with valuable experience, on top of the real-world, professional experiences we provide for them on campus and in the community.”

Student journalists will be able to arrive at Children’s Health Stadium at 8 a.m. to prepare for the press conference, which will take place sometime after noon.

Parents in the district agree that high-school journalists are not only gaining valuable experience here, but also showcasing important local news.

“Student journalists inherently have significant learning curves that can only be learned in ‘real world’ environments,” parent Andres Cruz said. “Mock press conferences can mimic real-world scenarios and test one’s resolution during high-stress situations.”

Cruz said pursuing these courses will benefit the community along with our law enforcement by testing the safety measures and crisis response techniques that are in place.

“It’s common practice for local governments and businesses to build resiliency plans to ensure the continuity of their mission,” Cruz said. “What is just as important, is testing these measures to ensure their viability and efficiency.”

This article includes reporting contributions from  Kaya Miller.