Watch: Preparing to Protect, SCHP Trains for Active Shooters
Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — The increasingly common threat of active shooters is forcing all law enforcement to be always at the ready.
Timely team work, that’s how the South Carolina Highway Patrol trains troopers to handle active shooter situations.
Sgt. Barney Pope with the South Carolina Highway Patrol says, “One point that we try to emphasize is not to get too bogged down in specific tactics, think in general terms. Remember to communicate and be aware of your surroundings.”
Twenty-seven officers spent the day running multiple scenarios and learning different methods of coordinated response,
There’s a plan in place to train all Department Public Safety employees which will create a uniform approach that officers say will provide security and confidence.
Trooper David Jones tells ABC Columbia, “Training like this prepares you to look for certain things. It prepares you to go in and face somebody who’s trying to mean you harm or mean the public harm.”
Authorities say it’s equally important for civilians to be trained in handling active shooting situations.
Sgt. Pope explains, “If they have the opportunity to run and hide, that would be ideal if they have a chance to pass on good information to the responding officers that information can be very valuable.”
With or without public input officers say they’re taking all the necessary precautions so they’re ready to respond.
“Our priority is to go and stop that threat and stop that person who may ultimately take another life in that split second that we have,” says Trooper Jones.
