Kern County sergeant tells students to treat lockdown drills seriously after Wednesday exercise

Students heard a review of last Wednesday’s lockdown drill and safety advice from a Kern County law-enforcement officer during the high school’s morning bulletin.

Sergeant Mike Dorkin, who identified himself as “sergeant at Mojave,” told students that drills help both school staff and police prepare: “We get to see what the campus is like. We get to see what you guys are gonna do in the case of an emergency, and we’re more prepared for to come and assist.”

The sergeant said drills also let staff spot issues that need to be fixed and urged students to take them seriously. “Make sure you’re taking these drills seriously because if something happens and things do happen all over this country, you guys need to be prepared,” Dorkin said. He emphasized remaining quiet during a real lockdown to avoid revealing a hiding place: “You don’t wanna tip them off of where your location is.”

When asked about protective actions while locked down, Dorkin advised students to “get behind something that’ll stop a bullet or stop another object or something from harming you,” saying that concealment and silence are the “most important” measures.

The remarks were delivered as part of the student-run bulletin’s segment that followed the school’s Wednesday lockdown drill. No district administrator or school official spoke in the broadcast excerpt about changes to procedures or schedules following the drill.

Students and staff were asked to treat future drills seriously and to follow teachers’ instructions during exercises and real incidents.