POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 41 BRIDGEWATER –– Guns drawn, two police officers walk through the halls of Park View Education Centre in front and back of two other officers carrying a shooting victim. Today it’s only a training exercise and they hope that’s all it will ever be. However, if the situation ever becomes real, police officers in Lunenburg County will be ready to respond. More than two dozen o fficers from Lunenburg County RCMP and Bridgewater Town Police recently spent two days learning what they call rapid deployment techniques. “Rapid deployment is a response to an active shooter, who is usually somebody in a school situation during school hours,” explains Cst. Ward Beck, one of two training safety officers. “The first few officers on the scene take control of the situation, go into the school and handle it the best they can.” Police departments faced with school shootings such as Columbine have been criticized for waiting for specialty emergency teams. That was the normal police response prior to the new training for first line officers. “During the time they were waiting, which could be a matter of hours, people’s lives were very much in jeopardy. In fact, there were many cases where people died as a result of the first responding officers not attempting to neutralize the situation,” says Bridgewater Chief Brent Crowhurst. “So this training is designed for the average uniform patrol officer using proper tactics to keep as safe as possible but yet to respond to the immediate need of the situation,” the chief adds. Rapid deployment techniques can be used to enter any kind of facility where there are many potential victims and a limited number of shooters. That could be a school, a manufacturing plant, a business, even a shopping mall. “In the worst case scenario, if people’s lives are very much in jeopardy at the immediate time, we have to be able to respond. Up until now, we didn't have the proper tactics or techniques to do that somewhat safely. There’s still an inherent risk, but it’s minimized by virtue of this training,” Chief Crowhurst says. Recognition is growing that such tragedies could happen anywhere and the province has authorized its police agencies to be prepared. Cst. Beck and Sgt. Alfie O’Quinn, both training safety officers with Bridgewater Police, underwent their own training first so they, in turn, could pass on the techniques to fellow officers. “The training was set up by Halifax Regional Police,” explains Sgt. O’Quinn. “They fashioned it after a number of police departments from the States, looking at the Columbine situation and how to best deal with the situation and how to deal with the situation fromColumbine school.” Officials with experience and expertise in handling similar scenarios developed the training module, which is now being taught across North America. In Lunenburg County, the RCMP and town force undertook integrated training, recognizing that in a crisis they can and do work together. “They’re aware of our training. We’ll be aware of theirs. If a situation happens in New Germany and they need backup, Bridgewater guys will be able to go there or vice versa,” Sgt. O’Quinn says. Police want to be clear that the training is no way connected to the chase and fatal shooting which occurred here in June. It has been planned for months and the timing is coincidental. “It certainly serves to highlight the fact that our two police agencies do in fact respond to help each other in times of crisis. This just further indicates the need for us to train together so that we’re fully aware of each other’s capabilities,” Chief Crowhurst says. Originally published July 30, 2003 POLICE TRAIN FOR THE WORST New tactics could save lives in a shooting rampage By Lisa Brown - The Bulletin LISA BROWN PHOTO RCMP Cst. Mark Cameron, left, clears the hallway with Bridgewater Police Cst. Wade Keddy covering him as Cst. Jeremy Boehner of the Chester RCMP office and Cst. Matthew Mader of the Bridgewater Police remove a “shooting victim” during a recent training exercise.
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