UVALDE, Texas – The Uvalde Police Department is continuing its efforts to prepare for tragedy. On Wednesday, the department held a joint active shooter training with 10 surrounding agencies.
The three-day training is part of the department’s Guardian initiative, a program aimed at rebuilding trust, restoring credibility and revitalizing community relations following the Robb Elementary shooting on May 24, 2022.
The agencies took part in “Active Shooter Incident Management Training,” which is a FEMA-funded course that is only offered three times a year for each state.
“Shots are being fired. We are teaching them that you must go in,” Texas A&M Engineer Extension Services Instructor Ari 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.”
Although officers are seated and tackling the issues virtually on laptops, Jimenez said the protocols they are learning are vital.
“We create this environment where they make the right decisions in the right sequence to save lives,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez stressed the importance of communication during the active shooter training.
“First of all, you don’t want blue on blue. They don’t want to shoot each other,” Jimenez said. “Arrive at the airport. Shots are being fired. I’m in command. I’m engaging,”
Uvalde Police Department Assistant Chief Mike Davis said the virtual training has allowed the agencies to practice 11 different scenarios at different locations in three days.
“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.”
According to Davis, live training has already taken place at Uvalde schools.
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