As the hearings begin this week in the Aurora (Colo.) theatre massacre case, the chilling details of the chaos and horror responding officers met with at the scene are surfacing.
Pay close attention to what these officers are saying, as painful as that may be, because it serves as a powerful reminder of the need to be not only tactically-prepared for anything, but psychologically- and emotionally-prepared as well.
I’m not talking about tactics here — obviously, you want to make your-active shooter training as real as possible (check out the video below). I’m talking here about going beyond tactical preparation, and taking some of this week’s testimony in and using your imagination, visualization, and when/then thinking to prepare your brain.
Shaken officers describing the Colorado theater scene paint a picture of essentially responding to hell.
Blood-slicked floors, a cacophony of ringing cell phones held by the slaughtered, aisles blocked with mangled bodies, popcorn moist with body fluids, utter terror in the eyes of the fleeing innocents.
To the extent possible, being aware of and prepared for the potentially horrendous sights, sounds, smells, and surreal setting of an active-shooter event can hopefully help you stay focused on your professional mission and (I dare say), temporarily numbed to the things that would cause most to freeze in shock.
