Dozens of Fort Hood and Central Texas community first responders recently came together for a joint active-shooter training exercise that took place from February 6-8. The event was designed to test the combined ability of the Fort Hood community in response to an active-shooter incident and brought together local municipal first-responders along with Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services soldiers and civilians. The training took place inside an on-post building formerly known as Duncan Elementary School.
The training exercise centered on “Active Attack Integrated Response” training and exercised the different roles of law enforcement, emergency medical service personnel, and firefighters in a response. The event began with classroom instruction on what to expect when there is an active shooter involved and concluded with the full-scale practical exercise. Whether it was an active shooter, hostage situation, casualties needing medical assistance, or any other situation, attendees learned the proper response techniques.
The joint training exercise included members of Fort Hood’s DES police and fire departments, 64th Military Police Company, 178th Military Police Company, and 411th Military Police Company, along with Killeen’s police and fire departments, Temple’s police department, and Harker Heights’ police department. This is the first time that this integrated training session has taken place, according to Fort Hood’s DES training coordinator, Capt. Francis Meiron.
The lead instructor of the exercise, Jose Daniel Rosado, a nearly 5-year veteran of the Killeen Police Department, insisted that this is the leading edge of training that communities should start utilizing. Rosado served on the Violent Crime Action Team and Special Weapons and Tactics teams at KPD, and he was adamant about the effectiveness of this training.
“If we incorporate this and get this training to everybody, it’s a game changer for how officers and first responders are able to save lives,” Rosado explained. “Law enforcement…we’re great at stopping the killing but we’re not so great at stopping the dying. Because this is such a great tool to have, if we’re all on the same page, we can stop the dying, and that’s the ultimate goal!”
Fort Hood Army Spc. Desiree Watson, a first-time attendee, expressed her desire for training opportunities such as this to continue to be offered. She works as part of a traffic unit for the 178th Military Police Company and would be typically one of the first responders to such an event.
“I can honestly say this is well needed and we should do this more,” Watson said. “I like that they’re showing us different roles and that we’re all going through each role. Whether we’re EMS, whether we are patrol…it’s like walking a mile in their shoes.”
In conclusion, this integrated training session was a crucial step towards improving the ability of the Fort Hood community to respond to an active-shooter incident. By bringing together various law enforcement and first responder agencies, the event was able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Active Attack Integrated Response training program and highlight the importance of continued training opportunities for first responders.
Image credit: Fort Hood Press Center
Central Texas Reporter 