|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||||
|
Local News - September 2002 |
||||||||
|
Training hones quick thinking skills Live ammunition simulates life and death situations By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer September 27, 2002 - Preparation and the ability to think quickly are characteristics demanded of law enforcement officers. On any given call, they must be ready for any situation. From a domestic dispute to a school shooting, officers must be ready to do anything to protect their community, and themselves. Members of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office trained and practiced this week for these situations. On a gray Wednesday, with red mud clinging to their boots and rain blurring their vision, Lt. Larry Stanley, First Sgt. Brian Doolittle, Sgt. Dale Jenkins and Sgt. Frank Stinson crept into a situation about which they knew nothing. Heavy black tarps hung high enough that they couldn’t see over them. The tarps divided the area into compartments, at the end of which could be waiting criminals, police, hostages or no one. They inched up to the first section, Doolittle leading, with Stanley and Jenkins flanking him, and Stinson bringing up the rear. “This technique gives them 360 degree security,” said Sgt. Douglas Norwood, staff development and training coordinator. “Someone is covering every zone.” Their guns were raised and they were ready. Clear. They moved forward. At the end of the next section was a large piece of cardboard with a human silhouette stapled on. Beside it was another. In one person’s hand was a gun — which was pointed at a hostage. The other person pointed a gun forward. Norwood and Sgt. Travis Leatherman, firearms instructor, observed the exercise. “They’ve never seen this, so they’re going to have to figure it out real quick,” Norwood said. Shots rang out; the men stood completely still. “The live ammunition makes it seem more real,” Norwood said. Looking at the targets, it is clear that the mission was successful. There were two holes, side by side, in the head of the gunman holding the hostage. On the other target, a bullet pierced through the hand of the gunman — the hand which held the weapon. They moved on, Norwood and Leatherman rearranging the targets, changing situations, creating surprises. And time after time, as the four slowly made their way into the tarped-off area, they made split-second — and life or death — decisions. Norwood said this type of training exercise helps law enforcement officers to be prepared for critical incidents — situations in schools or businesses. When officers go on a call to a location where there may be a large number of people or possible hostages, quick thinking and the ability to remain calm under pressure are essential. This intense training forces officers to put themselves in these difficult situations. Norwood said rapid deployment training began as a result of the shootings at Columbine High School. “We do not want a repeat of what happened there,” Norwood said. Every law enforcement officer went through the training this week, which consisted of classroom and field exercises. They all passed, and all objectives were accomplished. “This teaches them to operate as a team,” Norwood said. “We have to operate as a team.”
|
||||||||
|
© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
||||||||
|
|