| active shooter |
This is only a drill
Responders train for mass shooting event
I
’ m moving carefully through a dimly-lit hallway. There’ s smoke in the air. The alarm bells are making it hard to hear what’ s going on and their strobe-like flashing is distracting. There are bodies lying on the floor and people yelling for help. I’ m thankful that none of this is real today. It’ s a joint training exercise with the law enforcement and emergency services agencies in Colquitt County. by Adelia Ladson
The call came in to 911 that there was an active shooter at Stringfellow Elementary School, which set off a course of action involving all law enforcement and emergency services agencies in the county. This was how the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training( ALERRT) multiple agency exercises began.
The Colquitt County Sheriff’ s Office hosted the four-day Public Safety Joint Active Killer
Training event that also included personnel from the Moultrie Police Department, Emergency Medical Service, Volunteer Fire Association, Moultrie Fire Department and 911.
“ Prior preparation prevents poor performance,” ALERRT instructor Thomas Moore, told me, summing up the reason for the exercise.“ Basically, we want to make the mistakes in training, so that they’ re not made in real life.”
The Colquitt County Sheriff’ s Office hosted the four-day Public Safety Joint Active Killer Training event that also included personnel from the Moultrie Police Department, Emergency Medical Service, Volunteer Fire Association, Moultrie Fire Department and 911. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Pittman
38 MoultrieScene AUGUST 2025