NCJ Number
192503
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 30-36
Date Published
December 2001
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes mock shooting training that presents genuinely realistic scenarios at schools.
Abstract
Although essential to build team skills and gain a familiarity with potential trouble spots, the vast majority of SWAT training is controlled and sterile. The Benton County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department staged a mock shooting that involved tactical teams, patrol officers, negotiators, emergency management, paramedics, electronic and print media, a MedEvac helicopter, and school administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and students from various local areas. Planning for the drill took 6 months. The first issue was developing the tactical problem of not causing concern among the public. Next, a month, date, and location was selected when school was out and no sports activities were taking place. One of the most important aspects of the training was the selection of the bad guys. The best bad guys come from other police departments. The entry team had no idea who was who and had to counter force with force. A waiver of liability had to be developed, approved, and signed by all participants. One of the more difficult aspects of the training was making sure regular police patrol and dispatch shifts were covered. This meant reaching out to the reserves or the State police to cover emergencies during the training. A general, vague script was developed for all involved. Some lessons learned from this exercise were that unstructured role-play can become unrealistic, post officers in the triage area and with every ambulance crew, and SWAT commanders should have access to all the same phone numbers and contact information at the remote site as they do at central dispatch. The overall lesson was that teams cannot train for just one piece of the police response to an emergency and expect the pieces to all fit together during the real emergency.