MEMPHIS, Tenn.– School resource officers in Shelby County received hands-on training Tuesday to prepare deputies for the unthinkable following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The training was scheduled prior to the shooting. Chief Inspector Fred Hughes, who oversees the school resource officers, said time is an important factor in those situations.
“We’ve got to make sure we save lives and in order to save lives time is at its essence,” Hughes said.
After an active shooting or mass shooting case, no matter where it is, teams study the incident to see how can they learn from each situation to be prepared.
“We never know what situation we’re going to walk into and we gotta be able to think on the fly,” said Anthony Bucker, Chief Inspector Director of Training.
The teams trained in a specialized building that allowed deputies to be put through various scenarios or different styles of buildings such as a doctor’s office or a school entrance.
“Also have configurations here that simulates a trailer or classrooms or homes or two story apartments,” Buckner said. “Whether it’s an active shooter situation or a barricade situation. So we change the rooms up just to kinda keep our staff, our officers on their toes. So they can think through a lot of these scenarios.”
Firefighter’s medical response was also a part of Tuesday’s training.