Miami-Dade schools police prepare for worst, take part in "active shooter" simulation
MIAMI - With the start of the new school year a few weeks away, Miami-Dade County Public Schools police officers took part in an "active shooter" training exercise on Friday to better prepare them to keep students safe.
They made the drill as real as possible.
Gun blasts echoed through the second-floor hallway of Coral Gables Senior High School, ear piercing alarms blared, and students could be heard screaming.
It took only minutes for officers from Miami-Dade schools police, Coral Gables police, and Miami-Dade police to begin maneuvering to try and find the shooter.
"In Miami-Dade County, our law enforcement teams are trained specifically to neutralize threats swiftly and immediately. That's the most important component and take-away from today. We know that every second counts in a critical incident," said Miami-Dade Schools Police Chief Edwin Lopez.
He said he's learned from mass shootings in other cities and he's learned from training like this.
"We expect the sanctity of a school house to maintain safety and we're willing to die for that cause," said Lopez.
The training lasted for the better part of an hour. Officers were able to clear rooms, floor by floor, and treated victims when they found them.
Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Jose Dotres said having the largest school police force in the country is a benefit because officers are already on all campuses.
"That allows us to coordinate and respond to the kids in the building quicker. Sometimes we forget this, but we have officers who know the design, the layout, of the school building. When you don't have that kind of intimacy, you are unable to respond quickly," he said.
The training allows all of the departments involved to fine-tune their communication. Each knows their role and going in immediately is critical to response time. It's the chief's promise to the students and their parents.
"That means make the bad guy real dead, real quick."