First Responders Hold Active Shooter Response Training At Coweta School

Roads were blocked off in Coweta around the high school as multiple agencies worked together for an active shooter hostile event response training Saturday.

"Our students are growing up in a different time than what I did," said Superintendent of Coweta Public Schools, Jeff Holmes.

He said the training is critical for both faculty and local first responders who participated in the training.

"Dispatch to arrival was three minutes," said Coweta Fire Captain Ben Neff. When the first officer got to the high school, he was able to find the shooter in 60 seconds.

"If you're the first officer on the scene you go to the threat. You take care of the threat," said Coweta Deputy Chief of Police, Ron Peterson. 

Peterson said the next 56 minutes are crucial and they could mean the difference of life or death. 

"The faster we can get you out of the situation and to the hospital the more likely you are to survive," said Peterson.

Saturday's training is a way for first responders to figure out what they would need to do differently in a real active shooter situation.

"How do we get those paramedics in here with security," said Peterson. "With law enforcement and start getting our wounded people out and get them to the hospital."

At the end of the day, Saturday's training could save students' lives if a real shooting breaks out.

"They need to be prepared for what may be out there outside of school as well," said Holmes.