GLADEWATER, Texas — Summer break is a time for students to get out of the classroom and spend time with family. While they're gone, preparations are underway to make sure they're safe.
East Texas law enforcement agencies who participated in Wednesday's ALERRT training (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) at the old Gladewater Middle School said trainings like these are vital.
"We’ve been pushing out our ALERRT classes on the month – every month. Our goal is not to stop," ALERRT instructor Longview Police Department Sgt. Drew Allison.
In Wednesday's training, Allison said they focused on three goals, "stop the killing, stop the dying, and immediately casualty evacuation care for an active attack and an active shooter."
The Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 prompted the Department of Justice to consider the ALERRT program as the national standard for active shooter training.
"If we train all together on a continual and ongoing basis, and we all receive the same training with the same tactic and the same language, we can accomplish those goals within a shorter time frame and save more lives," Allison said.
Police departments depend on ALERRT for the supplies needed for these training sessions. They also need a facility to train in. Eventually, Longview PD and other East Texas law enforcement agencies want to create a permanent training facility with their own equipment.
"If we want to become a hub, and train all of our local officers on a continual, ongoing basis, we eventually need to have our own kits and our own building to where we’re just doing this," Allison said.
Right now, those trainings are held at abandoned schools, which is why they want to open that hub so they can train whenever they need to.