The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Law enforcement talks active shooter situations with Rotary





Wilson County Sheriff Lt. Hank Miller speaks to the Lebanon Breakfast Rotary Club about law enforcement response to active shooter situations. Lebanon Police Sgt. Jospeh Nokes, left, and Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan, seated, also made remarks during the meeting.XAVIER SMITH

Wilson County Sheriff Lt. Hank Miller speaks to the Lebanon Breakfast Rotary Club about law enforcement response to active shooter situations. Lebanon Police Sgt. Jospeh Nokes, left, and Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan, seated, also made remarks during the meeting.XAVIER SMITH

Law enforcement officials from throughout Wilson County shared information about their preparedness to handle an active shooter situation with the Lebanon Breakfast Rotary Club following a pair of high-profiled shootings over the last two months.

“The tragedy just a few days ago in a small school in Texas should challenge every law enforcement organization in the country to ask themselves, ‘Are we prepare for an active shooter incident?’ ” Rotarian Terry McDonald said.

In May a teenager shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo in a racially charged attack. Ten days later, a teenager shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Hank Miller and Lebanon Police Sgt. Joseph Nokes shared information on their respective agency’s preparedness to active shooter and emergency situations.

“I just want to assure each and everybody in this room that our schools are safe. Could it happen here? You can’t prevent everything,” Bryan said. “Are we trained? We train every day. Yes, we do. We train all the time.”

Bryan noted the presence of school resource officers at every public school in Wilson County, which are coordinated by his department.

Miller discussed the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team and the agency’s emergency response training.

The SRT started in 2001 with 10 members and has grown to 16 members. It utilizes supplement members from other agencies, primarily Wilson County Emergency Management Agency.

“We have a pretty rigorous process to get on the team,” Miller said.

Miller said SRT members a couple of the requirements for team members is the applicant must be law enforcement certified and undergo physical and mental examinations. Members also go through an interview process with other SRT members and additional training at SWAT school.

“We don’t just throw a team together,” Miller said.

Miller said training takes place at schools, churches, businesses, major transportation places and even military bases.

Nokes noted the change in law enforcement agencies’ response to active shooter situations, especially in schools, following the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

“It is now first man on the scene directs the threat, whether that’s your SRO, patrol guy or someone from your CID division. The first one there is in that building — direct to threat. No questions,” Nokes said.

Nokes said the delayed response from SWAT-style units would allow more time for situations to unfold, which is why some agencies adopted the “first person engage” style response.

Nokes said training is critical for any SWAT team.

“We always stress to our guys that you’re not just going to show up on game day. Nobody does that. You have to prepare. You’re going to revert back to your level of training,” Nokes said.

Nokes noted training was similar to the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office SRT team, and the agency stressed the importance of mental strength.

“We want guys that are thinkers before shooters,” Nikes said.

The teams receive more than a dozen hours of training monthly and are trained to respond and oversee situations beyond active shooters, such as barricaded subjects, high risk arrests and high-risk warrant services, hostage situations, dignitary protections, and search and rescue.

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