The ALERT program trains officers’ tactics in the event of an active shooting

PULASKI CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — An FBI task force is teaching officers in Kentucky how to respond to school shooting situations.

The 16-hour ALERT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Techniques) training program teaches officers the tactical and technical skills needed to confront an active shooter.

The program was first launched in 2012, right after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left 26 people dead. ALERT ensures officers are prepared for anything, which is why 55 officers from across central Kentucky met at a middle school in Pulaski County on Tuesday to practice for the next two days.

“When a shooting occurs, we want to get in. Identify the threat and stop it as quickly as possible,” explains Sheriff Bobby Jones of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. “I know that my education changed drastically years ago because of what was happening in our society.”

One of the techniques they are taught is how to apply a tourniquet when necessary to stop bleeding. According to Sergeant Alex Wesley of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, applying a tourniquet to an arm should take 20 seconds and applying two tourniquets to the thigh should take 30 seconds.

“We must help others once the threat is neutralized. Even though we are not paramedics or emergency medical technicians, we are trained in how to stop bleeding,” Jones explains.

“Rampages last three to five minutes and then they’re over. And that’s a national statistic with all the rampages that are happening. And also remember that you need to hide. We want you to run away first if you can,” Wesley explains.

“As we approach the building, how do we get in safely? How do we determine who the threat is based on the intelligence we’ve received? How we communicate is very important,” Jones said.

On Wednesday, the officers will complete their training with simulations and apply what they have learned to a fictitious scenario.