ARMED, FLEEING SUSPECTS TRIGGER SHUTDOWN HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS GO INTO EMERGENCY MODE WITHOUT PANIC.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

SAUGUS - As two armed burglary suspects detoured into Rosedell Elementary on Monday while fleeing from authorities, school officials cleared the grounds of lunching children and completed a campuswide lock-down within 30 seconds.

When it was all over, one inquisitive student asked: ``Is this about the war?''

In a time of armed conflict and orange alerts, to respond to sudden danger and protect their 680 pupils has almost become second nature for Rosedell's teachers and administrators, Principal Nadine Elswick said.

``We have a safety plan that we regularly review and we have monthly fire and earthquake drills,'' she said. ``It's a different world, and we try to always prepare in case of an emergency.''

The incident came as the Saugus Union School District prepares to participate in an interdistrict disaster drill Thursday.

The two men, clad in flak jackets, were attempting to break into a condo in the 27600 block of Susan Beth Way about 11 a.m. before their arrest, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.

After a witness alerted authorities, they fled and crossed through the edge of the school grounds just as first- and second-grade students were beginning their lunch break.

``The sheriffs came immediately to the front of the school to tell us to do a lock-down,'' Elswick said. ``All the first- and second-grade children were eating lunch. We quickly shepherded them to the multipurpose room.''

As word of the incident reached the district office, the lock-down order spread to nearby Bouquet Canyon School. Teachers bolted their doors, turned off the lights and gathered their students to center of the classroom - just as they practiced months earlier.

``We've locked down Rosedell and Bouquet (Canyon) just to be on the safe side,'' Superintendent Judy Fish said. ``We're just doing this as a safety precaution. Even if it's dismissal time for the kindergarten, we're keeping the children until we get the all-clear.'' With guns drawn, deputies cleared the classrooms one by one, then evacuated 27 more fourth-graders housed in a portable classroom next to a flood control channel bordering the school so police dogs could comb the area.

As the situation dragged on for more than an hour, some deputies escorted groups of restless children to the bathroom, Elswick said.

``The kids have had practice,'' she said. ``There were a couple that seemed a little sensitive and started to ask questions. But they seem fine and we went out at lunch and complimented them on how well they did.''

Safety and security have been concerns in Saugus schools. Rosedell's lock-down procedures were in place even before such high-profile incidents as the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

``The procedures have remained for the most part the same,'' Assistant Principal Susan Bender said. ``Teachers know they need to get their kids into the center of the classroom and sit on the floor behind desks and turn out the lights.''

The district even has its own security czar - the director of safety and risk management has been reviewing campus procedures and has installed a telephone news line to keep parents informed during emergencies.

When asked about the school's response Monday, Bender said: ``One hundred percent of our kids was accounted for and 100 percent of our staff was accounted for. I wouldn't do anything differently.