Rubi Martinez
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department and the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) conducted a rapid-response “active shooter” training with the collaboration of the drama department Friday at Pierce College from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The day started early for the participants. Sheriff’s deputies and Pierce drama students arrived as early as 6 a.m. to engage in a drill that helped both the law enforcement and the school become educated about and prepared for a real school-shooting scenario.
About 50 Sheriff’s department staff, including the Sheriff’s SEB team -the equivalent to the L.A. Police Department’s SWAT team – sworn college sheriffs and campus deputies, detectives, non-sworn security officers and district cadets all came together for an effort to help keep the L.A. Community College District schools safe.
The SEB team conducted their briefing behind close doors due the nature of tactical techniques. Briefing lasted about an hour, after which officers and students were divided into groups. Drama students role-played as scared and confused college students while officers searched for threats and rescue targets. Each team was assigned to a different scenario.
The training consisted of three different shooter-on-the-loose scenarios that got progressively more challenging as each team went through them. The first scenario was developed to facilitate the movements of the search and rescue teams. The second scenario was much more elaborate and consisted of a situation that took place inside classrooms and buildings. The third scenario involved a hostage situation.
Ralph Webb, captain of the Sheriff’s Community College Bureau who has been in service for 27 years, was proactively engaged during the entire event. He said trainings such as these go on several times a year, but the last time the department had a training of this magnitude was about a year ago at East L.A. College. He emphasized he importance of training in campuses because it is where the situation could actually occur.
“Nobody expects this to happen but we have to leave with the reality that this incident might happen,” Webb said. “As for our part, we in the Sheriff’s Department want to make sure that we are prepared to act upon the situation if it ever happens, but we hope we only practice.”
Lieutenant Joseph Stephens, in service for 24 years, explained how school shootings happen all over the country, dating as far back as 1970 at the University of Texas and as recently as Virginia Tech.
“Fortunately we have not had a school shooting in any of the LACCD campuses,” he said.
Simulation rounds were used with real 9-millimeter Berettas during the training. Officers were the only ones allowed to use simulation weapons, and no students were shot at.
According to Deputy Tom Lynch, who has spent 14 years in service, the simulation rounds fire in the same way as bullets.
“The projectile is made out of hard plastic,” Lynch said. “The plastic projectile has paint inside and when it strikes whatever the target is, paint splatters.”
Anna Momolo, 19-year-old student, was slightly intimidated by the officers’ weapons.
“I am a little freaked out by all the ammunition,” she said.
Training ended at 12:30 p.m., after which the Country Cafe offered a barbecue lunch to all participants. Captain Webb offered a plaque to Pierce President Robert Garber for his support on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department.
L.A. County sheriff’s deputies pursue a mock “active campus shooter” during an eight-hour day of training Friday at Pierce College.. ()