42 participate in active shooter training
MUSCLE SHOALS — Forty-two community residents participated in a free four-hour active shooter training course held May 14 at Northwest Shoals Community College.
NWSCC Police officer Bobby Inman said only a small portion of the group worked in law enforcement. Most participants represented churches, schools, businesses and local government agencies.
The training covered the history of active shooter incidents in the United States, emergency planning, law enforcement response procedures, and ways organizations can better prepare their buildings and staff.
Participants also learned what police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers do during an active shooter response. Inman said understanding these procedures can help businesses and organizations react more effectively during an emergency.
One major part of the class focused on “site surveys,” which involve documenting entrances, exits, hallway measurements and other details that could help first responders navigate a building during a crisis.
Inman said many civilians involved in the training had never heard of site surveys.
“They all have plans in place,” he said, “but a lot of them don’t know how to put specific details together, or what responding law enforcement needs.”
He said maintenance workers and custodians are often among the most valuable people during an emergency because they know buildings better than anyone else and usually have access to keys and locked areas.
The course also examined past active shooter incidents, beginning with the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting and continuing through more recent cases.
During the second half of the training, participants were expected to complete a site survey of the college building where the class was held.
Inman said future versions of the course will likely expand from four hours to eight hours to allow participants more hands-on practice. That class could launch as early as September.
Among those attending Thursday’s training was a team from Sheffield City Schools, including administrators, school resource officers and safety staff.
Veronica Bayles, principal of Sheffield High, said one of the biggest lessons from the course was the importance of consistent training and preparation.
“You have to stay committed to whatever it is you plan to do and you have to follow through,” Bayles said.
She also said schools and organizations should carefully control who has access to emergency response plans.
“You’re not to share your plan with everybody,” she said. “You have to train your staff so that when something happens, they don’t forget.”
Inman said the goal of the program is not to create fear, but to encourage preparation.
“The concept of ‘it will never happen here’ is just not true,” he said.
