The Sandoval County Office of Emergency Management hosted an Active Threat Initial Response Course for public safety officials last week at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
The three-day course focused on teaching quick reaction, concise planning and honed medical techniques to achieve positive outcomes in active threat emergencies. Forty-five participants representing 17 public safety entities took part in the nationally recognized course, which was conducted by instructors from Louisiana State University’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training.
“This specialized training is being offered throughout the country so that public safety personnel is better prepared for this type of emergency, which is on the rise,” Eric Masterson, fire chief of Sandoval County Fire and Rescue, said.
During the training course, professionals from local fire, emergency medical services and law enforcement studied and applied techniques for working together to effectively and efficiently respond to active threat emergencies. They were also taught how to quickly identify and reduce the threat and to care for wounded civilians.
Theresa Greeno, manager of Sandoval County Emergency Management Services, said that coordinating this exercise is part of her office’s commitment to area first responders “to help them perform their jobs at the highest level for the benefit of residents, visitors and public safety personnel.”
Public safety officials from the following agencies took part in the training: Santa Ana Police, Sandoval Regional Medical Center, Sandoval County Fire and Rescue, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Rio Communities Fire Department, San Juan County Fire and Rescue, San Juan Regional Medical Center, New Mexico State Police, University of New Mexico, Santa Fe Police, UNM Hospital, Cuba Fire Department, and Cochiti Fire Department.
