Humboldt police participate in active shooter drill

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. — One local police department is prioritizing school safety ahead of the upcoming school year.

On Tuesday, the Humboldt Police Department held an active shooter drill at East End Elementary. Officers learned key skills, including how to respond to situations when they’re alone or as a group.

“We involve powerpoint training, training on how to enter rooms, and also using what we call ‘sim guns’ that they use to fire paintballs at each other,” said Chief Kenny Rich, HPD.

One scenario involved an active shooter in a classroom. Officers arrived at the scene and immediately jumped into action.

“Our goal is not only to show the guys how to do it–the officers how to do it–we coached them how to do it and we run them through scenarios. That way, when something does really happen–that’s unfortunate that we don’t want to happen–the officers are equipped and ready to deal with it,” said Chief Rich.

According to Chief Rich, officers train each school in the district individually to learn the layout, and practice the best approach to ensure safety.

“If something happens, we are going to respond appropriately and get in that school and save lives. That is our goal,” said Chief Rich.

The annual training lasted eight hours and focused on preparing officers to respond quickly and effectively in potential school threats.

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