Active shooter training taking place in Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Law enforcement officers from around the country are participating in active shooter training here in Lowndes County.

The Lowndes County Sheriff’s office is hosting the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response or ALERT training at New Hope High throughout the week.

During intense drills, officers practice engaging in an active shooter scenario, taking out any threat involved, and providing medical aid to victims.

What’s unique about this training, is that officers can take what they’ve learned back to their respective agencies and teach their personnel the same exercises.

Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says his department participates in similar programs annually, “In light of everything that’s happened in recent weeks with mass shootings across the country, it’s just perfect timing that we’re putting this class on now. We have all of our school resource officers here now going through this training so that they’re on site. One of these mass shooter situations can be over in a matter of seconds. A shooter comes in and they’re already here on the school campus. So, training them so that they’re prepared is just a win-win for everybody.”

ALERT is a federally funded program and is the national standard being taught throughout the United States.