By Marc Pruitt 

West Forsyth High School entered into secure and hold protocol on Wednesday morning after receiving a tip about a possible weapon on campus.
School administrators underwent an investigation in coordination with the Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office and located and confiscated an inoperable part of a weapon. The then determined that there was no operable weapon or threat on campus.
Students and staff went into secure protocol during second period and were held in classes with locked doors until the all clear was given around 12:35 p.m.
There was no active shooter at the school and there was not a lockdown. No students or staff were physically hurt.
Kevin Spainhour, the principal at West Forsyth, sent out this message to West Forsyth parents a little after 2 p.m. on Wednesday:
“Hey Titan families, Mr. Spainhour here with important information about our protocol this morning. West Forsyth High School did receive a tip this morning of a potential weapon on school grounds. As we began the investigation, our administration decided to place our school in a Secure and Hold protocol to exercise extreme safety and caution as we completed the full investigation. In coordination with Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, we confiscated an inoperable part of a weapon and after a full investigation we determined there was no operable weapon or threat on our campus. We thank you for your support of The Village and we are grateful for the students and staff that we have that kept your son or daughter secure and safe during this process. Thank you, and as always, Go West.”


WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SECURE AND LOCKDOWN?
From the WS/FCS Website

The term “Secure” is used when there is a potential threat that can be mitigated by bringing everyone inside. It should be announced with the directive “Get inside. Lock outside doors,” which signals to bring people in and lock exterior doors. While it calls for heightened situational awareness, it also allows for indoor activities to continue. The term “Lockdown” means there is an active or imminent threat inside or nearby requiring immediate protective action. It is followed by the directive “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” and requires locking classroom doors, turning out the lights, and remaining hidden until first responders arrive. Effectively if the threat is outside the building, Secure. If the threat is inside the building, Lockdown.