By Joanna Putman
Police1
UVALDE, Texas – The Uvalde Police Department held a joint active shooter training this week as part of its ongoing Guardian initiative, aimed at rebuilding trust and improving community relations after the Robb Elementary School shooting in May 2022, KSAT reported.
Ten surrounding agencies participated in the three-day event, which focused on “Active Shooter Incident Management Training,” according to the report.
The training, funded by FEMA, is offered only three times a year in each state. Ari Jimenez, an instructor with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services, emphasized the importance of immediate response.
“Shots are being fired. We are teaching them that you must go in,” Jimenez said. “Eighty percent of the time, the active shooter is not going to stop. A police officer is the only thing that is going to be able to stop that violator.”
Officers learned critical decision-making protocols through the virtual training, according to the report.
“We create this environment where they make the right decisions in the right sequence to save lives,” Jimenez explained.
Assistant Chief Mike Davis of the Uvalde Police Department highlighted the value of the training, which included 11 different scenarios.
“On the mental side, being prepared is half the battle, and we’re doing a lot of practical training, so you have to walk before you can run,” Davis said. “We do anticipate doing live scenarios in the future. We do have a training plan for that.”
