CHICOPEE - Officials with the Hall County Sheriff's Office and school resource officers (SROs) from around the county participated in an active shooter drill Wednesday.
The drills took place throughout the day at Jones Elementary School in Chicopee. The officers were sent in one at a time to go up against the "active shooter" character.
"We're using Simunition rounds, which are training guns," said Training Director Lt. J. Smith. "You can actually mark and the officers can actually see where their marks are impacting... and we're using our normal duty wear and uniforms, radios. We're also trying to add confusion to the officer as we're going through, because we're missing the live students, we're missing the everyday life in the school, so we're trying to do as much as we can with what we have."
The hallway used in the drill was mostly dark, with a few chairs overturned as an obstacle and papers scattered about. Lights were left on in the classrooms, where the "shooter" could be hiding.
Lt. Earl Roach said the drills were done regularly. "We want them (the SROs) to be able to go and engage the shooter, and you can't do that without practice."
Deputy Jonathan Jackson portrayed the active shooter during this round of drills. Jackson serves on special ops, SWAT, is a K-9 handler and has previously participated in the drills.
"When you get to be the bad guy... I learn more about what I need to do on this end by being the bad guy," said Jackson. "I get to see first hand how they react, how I react, the places I hide, that sort of thing. It's beneficial to be on both sides."
"You can stand and shoot at paper all day long. But, when he and I are actually shooting at each other, it causes pain, it doesn't feel good. You realize what you're capable of doing."
Lt. Scott Buffington was one of several SROs participating in the drill. Buffington went in to a classroom where "shooter" Lt. Jackson was hiding, and managed to mark Lt. Jackson in the head during the "shootout."
Buffington, the East Hall SRO, said the drills were "a necessary evil." "We really need to train as much as we can on it, because you never know. It could be at the mall, it could be here, it could be anywhere."
