LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL) -- Schools throughout the Lafayette Parish School System will conduct lockdown drills over the next few days, according to school system officials Wednesday afternoon.

In an email sent out to members of the media, officials said the drills serve to "ensure that our students, faculty, and staff are prepared in case of a real emergency."

"You may get phone calls from uninformed observers that there appears to be something happening at a particular school due to the presence of emergency vehicles on the scene," the email stated.

Officials said parents would be notified as soon as the drills are completed. Alerting parents and participants beforehand would defeat the purpose of the drill, officials said, "and may not invoke the true response that needs to be tested."

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