St. Joseph County First Responders undergo active shooter training

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It’s a situation no first responder wants to see come to life but must be prepared to face at any given moment.

60 first responders from more than a dozen fire, police, EMA, and other agencies came together for a three-day active shooter management training, ASIM.

“It is three days I know who all the players are at our local agencies, and I know them by name. I know their phone numbers so that if something were to happen, I know who does what who can handle what and I know who I can talk to,” said Ashley O’Chap, Public Information Officer for SBPD.

The federally funded program uses lessons from past incidents to prepare for a number of scenarios, ended with a hands-on role play demonstration.

To ensure local departments are on the same page, in case a “what if” comes to life in St. Joseph County.

“What we are learning here Hopefully, we’ll never have to apply before likely we will,” said, Al Kirsits,St. Joseph County Emergency Management Director.