It began with a resounding pop, pop, pop! Within minutes sheriff’s squad cars were converging on Copper Mountain College with emergency lights flashing. But this wasn’t a heartbreaking replay of the tragic shootings that have plagued college campuses nationwide. Instead it was a training exercise staged Tuesday to prepare law enforcement personnel should such an event occur here.
What made this exercise different, Sheriff’s Captain Jeff Joling said, was the coordinated involvement of fire trucks and ambulances. “It represents the unification of all critical agencies in a real situation,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to improve.”
It didn’t take long for the twenty-plus officers, armed with fake handguns, to subdue the active shooter, played by a colleague sporting a gray tee-shirt. “Excellent!” Joling said when it was over. “Preparing and training is the best way to keep safe.”
SHERIFF HOLDS ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING EXERCISE AT COPPER MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
