BILLINGS - A Billings mom is now an author, unveiling her first-ever book on a topic she wished she didn’t have to write about. Her name is Emily Romrell, but she goes by "Mrs. Zero Mass Shootings."
“This is Listen, Run, Hide,” reads Emily Romrell from her recently published children's book. “Can I show you what I learned today that my teacher said will keep me safe?"
It’s a book this Billings mom wrote with a foreword from the creator of the FBI's active shooter training. It’s designed to be read in the home between caregiver and child.
“I wrote this when I was looking for this exact book to read to my daughter before she started kindergarten,” said Romrell.
It's also a book this mom hopes ends up in a museum someday because it’s no longer needed.
The book is meant to be a guide, teaching students what to do in a nightmare situation. One of the lessons? Don’t be afraid to break the rules at school if that’s what’s needed to stay safe.
“Her physical safety is the most important thing to me, more important than the rules at school, not running in halls, that kind of thing,” says Romrell.
“What should I do if I'm not near a teacher tho? Like what if I'm walking back from the bathroom?” says Romrell as she reads an excerpt from her new book.
Mrs. Zero Mass Shootings, as she goes by on social media, says talking about mass shooting response doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a conversation with curious kids who are learning their world.
“For my 3-year-old, I’m already pointing out emergency exits, and you know, as we are at Target, 'Hey look there’s an emergency exit,'” says Romrell.
The new book, set to hit shelves soon, is certainly a conversation starter, one aimed at curbing anxiety that can come with lockdown drills as students recognize bad guys do sometimes come into schools.
“I feel strongly that parents should be there for their kids. They should be having those conversations and not leave their kids alone with it,” says Romrell.
Listen, Run, Hide is set for pre-order towards the end of August. For more information, visit Mrs. Zero Mass Shootings on social media.
Emily Romrell is also working with School District No. 2 in Billings on implementing an anonymous reporting system aimed at preventing mass shootings, which she says should be available this fall. A portion of the book’s proceeds will go toward organizations that support anonymous reporting systems.
