University Police Department Holds Annual Active Shooter Training

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (July 26, 2010) -- The mass shooting at Virginia Tech that left 32 people dead three years ago highlighted the importance of training campus safety officers to effectively respond to active shooter incidents and to manage major critical events within the community.

On July 28 through 30, the University at Albany Police Department will hold annual training for its officers in the immediate action response to active shooter incidents. As the primary back-up for the University Police, police officers from the City of Albany Police Department will also participate in this training. The College of Saint Rose Safety and Security Department will be sending security officers to observe the training. Officers from the Guilderland Police Department, the New York State Police and the New York Air National Guard have also been invited to attend.

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This course of training was developed by University Police Instructors and certified by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.  The University at Albany University Police department has been training its officers in immediate action response to active shooter incidents since 2000. Since 2006, the training has included deployment of patrol rifles and "live-fire" exercises.

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Each day-long session includes not only classroom training but �live fire� scenarios within some of the same campus buildings and facilities the officers may respond to in an actual emergency.During the training, officers are responsible for forming contact teams that respond to, localize, and contain any aggressors. Officers use handguns and rifles that fire plastic pellets but are otherwise similar to the duty weapons they carry every day. Training not only incorporates team movement but also safe weapon deployment, loading and re-loading duty firearms, weapon transition, use of force continuum, the possible use of explosive devices by aggressor(s) and situational awareness -- all during an encounter with one or more aggressors. Officers from departments are trained together to develop the ability to deliver a coordinated effective response in an active shooter incident.

Editors: Members of the media may observe the training Friday, July 30, 10 a.m. at Dutch Quad, on the main campus. Please contact the University Police Department at (518) 437-4406 to make arrangements.

Resources
Division of Student Success

Related Links
Community Policing
Office of Personal Safety and Off Campus Affairs
Officer Brandy Barnard: A Positive Influence on Students, Police Department

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