On July 21 and 22, the halls of Trigg County High School once again served as a place of critical thinking, problem solving and higher learning.
This time, however, the stakes were unfortunately much higher.
Campus officials joined up with law enforcement and medical agencies from Cadiz, Stewart County, Tennessee, and Christian County — in order to properly re-create, engage and respond to multiple pseudo-lethal scenarios, in the event of an active shooter ever broaching the myriad of safety measures already in place.
While incidents at Uvalde, Texas, Parkland, Marshall County, Heath, Columbine and Sandy Hook stir horrific memories and gut-lurching sorrow — the reality makes this training necessary.
Because no matter how remote it may feel, local and regional agencies have to be ready for the unthinkable. And aside from a two-year hiatus for COVID-19, active shooter training has been a part of Trigg County’s safety plan since 2004.
Cadiz Police Chief Duncan Wiggins noted this very “summer school” kept the home of the Wildcats safe in 2010.
Trigg County’s Director of Operations Matt Ladd said the two days of training served as a strong opportunity to build relationships with local first responders, but especially Stewart County law enforcement and administration — in what was an exchange of ideas and knowledge.
Prior to 2004, Trigg County officials would have had to wait on SWAT teams from surrounding agencies before engaging in a high-stakes threatening situation. For Christian County, that’s a response time of no less than 20 minutes — critical moments between life and death.
And this training isn’t just about indoor shooters and tactical movement around hallways. Some of the same knowledge could be applied to outdoor engagements and other modes of terroristic threats.
In a classroom scenario, CPD Officer Mike Felts reminded school officials that the power of peer pressure can help narrow down an assailant in a crowded room.
Officially qualified to lead the scenarios and units in the training, Cadiz Police Major Tyler Thomas noted it was critical for everyone to learn together — because everyone has to respond for everyone else in the event of emergencies like this.
In one specific scenario privy to the News Edge, three law enforcement officers had to root out a pair of shooters — one in the hallway, and one hiding in a classroom amid peers. A live-fire exercise, hundreds of rounds of training blanks were fired over the two-day course. Trigg County High School Principal Tim Bush, who played the “bad guy” a couple of times, took several rounds to the chest, as well as one kill shot placed right between his masked eyes.
Wiggins said the public needs to understand how serious this training is.
From December 19-22, the Trigg County campus will serve as host for an advanced law enforcement rapid-reaction training (A.L.E.R.R.T.). Wiggins said it’s the federal standard for active shooter training, and response agencies from all over North America will descend upon Cadiz for the four-day class — which is taught by two instructors and an FBI agent.
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