Arkansas-side police, schools to hold active shooter training this week

The Texarkana, Ark., Police Department in partnership with the Texarkana, Ark., School District and the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center will host two more ALERRT Integrated Response Courses this week.

Active Attack Integrated Response courses in reference to mass casualty response training will be today and Tuesday and on Thursday and Friday.

Area residents with police scanners may hear scanner traffic about mass casualty incidents because of the training.

The two-day, 16-hour course brings together police, fire, EMS and telecommunications agencies from all over Southwest Arkansas

to have an open dialog on working together during a mass casualty incident.

The concept is to get everyone on the same page by giving them the same training, said Rick Cockrell, threat and intelligence investigator with the TAPD. Cockrell said the training applies to any major event and is all about incident command.

ALERRT training originated with Texas State University and the San Marcos, Texas, Police Department coming together after they saw the need for active-shooter training following the Columbine shootings. The program was standardized and is now used across the nation.

The courses are free to state-certified law enforcement, fire, telecommunicator or emergency medical services providers.

For more information, go to tskusa.org/arkpolice. Information on ALERRT training can be found at alerrt.org.