Practicing Skills We Hope Never To Need

That’s what more than 35 law enforcement officers and 40 firefighters from Guilford were doing last week at Guilford High School. The increase in active shooter situations are forcing first responders to modify their plan of action when it comes to an active shooter incident. “There's a lot of challenges and threats in the area that you must maintain situational awareness,” one of the police trainers said. The purpose of the drill is to provide training and evaluate the

immediate tactical response to an active shooter situation. It is also staged to determine any future training needs and/or policies and procedures related to an emergency response. Nowadays, firefighters go into situations alongside police officers. Even if a scene is still "hot" with an active shooter, they need to reach potential victims. The training helps first responders practice life-saving skills and helps agencies learn how to work together. The simulation is designed to look as realistic as possible. Mannequins staged as victims are made up with gruesome- looking wounds, and even use fake blood to heighten the intensity of the situation. This has become an annual training event for both Guilford Police and Guilford Firefighters.