The North Central Planning, Exercise, and Training (PET) Region is hosting a free, multi-discipline active shooter training later this month in both Ainsworth and Taylor.
The trainings are open to those in dispatch, fire and rescue, law enforcement, emergency management, school administration, and hospital administration. Organizers have set a goal of strengthening coordinated response efforts while also sharing the best practices should critical incidents arise.
The Ainsworth school will host the first session on Thursday, May 14 from 8:30 to 11 AM, while the second session option will be Friday, May 15 from 8 to 10:30 AM at the Taylor Event Center.
Trainer Chief John Whalen and Trainer Deputy Chief Michael Moser will lead the sessions. Both are experienced trainers from Florida who were directly involved in the response to the Parkland school shooting. The two will provide real world insight and focus on lessons that were learned at that incident.
“Some emergency managers within the PET region had been to a conference that had seen the group that is going to be putting on the training and said it was really fantastic,” said Region 26 Emergency Management Executive Director Catie Larsen. “They were part of that Parkland, Florida shooting so they are kind of coming in and doing a ‘lessons learned’ with us to see how we can plan for things.”
All agencies and community partners are strongly encouraged to attend, and organizers are encouraged by the opportunity for those who attend to improve their preparedness.
Those interested can register online at this link. For more information about the Ainsworth session, contact Brown and Rock County Deputy Emergency Manager Jessica Pozehl at 402-684-9077. For the Taylor session, contact Catie Larsen at 308-214-0642. Registrations will be open until the day of the event, but organizers are asking for pre-registrations to help with a head count.
Those who attend the Taylor session are invited to stick around for a party for dispatcher Libby Burk, who is retiring following her 20 years at Region 26.
