Not a question of if, but a matter of when

Cheney School District and local police agency officials hope they have taken sufficient steps and precautions to prevent a school-shooting incident similar to what happened Dec. 14 in Newtown, Conn., and if the unthinkable happens, practiced procedures that would lead to a successful response.

Since 2008, Cheney and Airway Heights police have been participants in shooter-hostage mock training exercises at Eastern Washington University that include other agencies such as the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, EWU police, Washington State Patrol and local SWAT and firefighting units. And while no...