LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — After a weekend marked by two deadly mass shootings in American cities, one Kentucky school district is preparing for the worst.
The Fayette County Public Schools Police Department held a training Thursday as a part of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, or ALERT, which is a national program meant to prepare officers to respond to active shooter situations.
FCPS Police Department Chief Martin Schafer detailed the extent of the FBI-assisted program.
“We have a multi-agency response,” said Schafer. He says those agencies include Lexington Police, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Transylvania Public Safety and the 58 officers with FCPS Police Department.
During the training, officers learned classroom-style tactics and hands-on training that simulated an active shooter inside a school building.
The drills Thursday were held at Eastside Technical Center in Lexington and featured participants role playing as armed aggressors.
Given the recent national mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, Chief Schafer said this training took on a much more serious tone.
“When we train in these scenarios, it just really hits home,” said Schafer, “We hope this never happens, but we are always going to be prepared in the event that it does.”
Each Fayette County Public School will have an active shooter training with teachers and students once a semester within the first 30 days.
