As gun control becomes a hotter topic and society faces the very real threat of active shooter situations, first responders have been forced to change the way they handle these incidents. First responders in southern Wisconsin have been holding training sessions to better prepare for situations in which a perpetrator attacks with a gun.
According to Fox 6 Now, the purpose of the training sessions was to teach firefighters and paramedics who answer the call of an active shooter incident how to work with police officers. One of the police captains involved told the news source that victims cannot wait while first responders organize. The various teams need to be prepared to work together so they can act quicker.
Roughly 400 first responders from Milwaukee and the surrounding areas gathered at State Fair Park to run exercises and practice working with different units.
"In these types of incidents, you're going to have hundreds of officers converging and so you may not be teamed up with members from your own police department," Greenfield Police Captain Dave Patrick told Fox 6 Now.
Oct. 22 is the last day of the training, and the first responders who participated hope the drills will help them should any active shooter situations arise in the future.