If you see a lot of flashing lights around Ketterlinus Elementary this week, officials say there is no emergency. The St. Augustine Police Department is running active-assailant training on the campus today and again Thursday, and is warning residents to expect a noticeable spike in law-enforcement activity in the area. Officers and other first responders will be practicing response tactics during both sessions, which the department describes as planned, controlled exercises that are not tied to any specific threat. Classes will go on as scheduled while the drills take place.
What the department posted
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the St. Augustine Police Department laid out the schedule and told residents to expect a heavy law-enforcement presence at Ketterlinus Elementary both days. According to the St. Augustine Police Department, the activity on campus is strictly for training and is not a response to any reported incident. The post asks nearby residents to be patient while officers and first responders run through the drills.
School context and location
Ketterlinus Elementary is a St. Johns County School District campus located in downtown St. Augustine. The district lists the school at 67 Orange Street, according to the St. Johns County School District, and provides district contact information for parents and neighbors. The school serves elementary grades and follows the district’s standard safety protocols. Additional details and contacts are available on the school’s page on the district website.
Why these drills are held
Florida law requires school districts to include planning and training for active assailant incidents, and the rules call for law-enforcement participation so first responders and school staff can rehearse coordinated responses. As outlined in Florida Statute 1006.07 and guidance from the Florida Department of Education, districts and law enforcement are expected to coordinate on drills and broader safety planning as part of statewide school emergency-preparedness requirements. The training at Ketterlinus fits into that statewide framework for school safety.
What residents and parents should expect
During the drills, neighbors can expect to see marked and unmarked police vehicles, officers in tactical gear and potentially some short-term impacts on traffic or parking around the school. Officials are asking the public not to assume an active incident is underway just because of a heavy police presence. The department’s Facebook post and the district’s website list contacts for anyone with non-emergency questions.
Residents who have an immediate safety concern are advised to call 911; St. Johns County public-safety dispatch handles those calls and coordinates with local agencies, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
The St. Augustine Police Department and St. Johns County School District have not announced any changes to the academic calendar at Ketterlinus while the drills are underway. Parents looking for updates or more details can check the department’s Facebook post and the district’s Ketterlinus page for official information.
