(Austell, Ga. – March 31, 2016)
The Chattahoochee Technical College Police Department will be hosting a multi-jurisdictional active shooter training drill on April 6 at the college’s Austell Campus, located at 1578 Veterans Memorial Highway. The campus will be open to faculty and staff; however, students will be on spring break during the training exercise.
A Chattahoochee Technical College Campus Police officer checks a classroom during a past training scenario.
The drill will commence with some familiarity training for campus police officers as well as officers from local law enforcement agencies, including Cobb County Police, Powder Springs Police, Acworth Police, Austell Police and Atlanta Police. The active shooter scenario will begin around noon, and Chattahoochee Tech staff as well as some students have volunteered to play the role of “victims.”
“The purpose of the exercise is to train our officers on what to do during an active shooter event. Chattahoochee Technical College’s Police Department trains for active shooter scenarios twice a year. As Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council-certified officers, campus police are required to keep up their training and education, and force-on-force training scenarios are imperative in preparing for crisis situations,” CTC Campus Police and Training Officer Tim Hilley said.
During the active shooter training drill, officers will be dispatched to a call that shots were fired on the Austell Campus in the A Building. CTC Communications and Records Manager Lynn Quick said campus dispatch will be responsible for fielding calls, watching campus cameras and updating officers on new developments.
Once the responding officers arrive, they will make entry into the building in order to locate the mock shooter and eliminate the threat. Local fire and medical services will also be on scene to make the multi-agency training drill as realistic as possible. Hilley said paramedics from a rescue team will be responsible for removing all mock victims from the scene.
The day will give officers eight hours of Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council credit.