An active shooter situation can happen in the blink of an eye.
“Nowhere is immune to it happening, no state, no city,” said Capt. Hampton Taylor of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. “Nobody ever thought it would happen to them until it does so it’s critical that we build those relationships, those communication channels and have a game plan in case it were to happen.”
Our game plan included Texas State’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training. Deputies now hold local trainings for SWAT team members, firefighters, EMS, National Guard soldiers and more.
“The demand’s going up and as people talk about it and word spreads, we’re getting demand from local businesses so that’s another part of the equation,” Taylor said.
“What do we expect of the civilian response in such a situation? We find ourselves going in to local businesses, laying out what we expect of them, what their response needs to be, what they can do to help us and also train them on what we do, what they can expect once we get on scene and how we’re going to roll that out.”
According to Taylor, one of the difficulties of training is finding buildings where they can simulate these situations, especially schools.
“We cannot be successful in the schools without the participation of the school districts and the administration in each school,” Taylor said. “As we say, our captains are the chief of police in their regions, well the principal is the chief of police in their school.”
We’re offering up to three or four classes a quarter and getting involved is easy. A quick phone call to us at 803-785-8230 could ensure your building is as safe as possible.