Work hard, train harder
Essex County law enforcement and fire and rescue come together for three days of Active Shooter Training that strengthens mutual aid relationships across Local agencies n BY AMBER RAMUNDO n PHOTOS BY ED CARATTINI JR.
Sirens and smoke surrounded F. N. Brown Elementary School in Verona. Popping bullets and explosives ricocheted off the pavement as groups of seven officers approached the building, entering with facemasks down and weapons drawn.
“ Contacting Unit One, acknowledging that we are in front of the building searching now,” voiced over the officers’ radios, followed by the necessary disclaimer in an all-too-real scenario:“ This is only a drill.”
The scene is enough to trigger a community’ s worst nightmare of having an active shooter on school grounds, calling to mind the devastations of Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook. But in Essex County, it’ s a scenario that first responders would rather study and prepare for. So on Aug. 13-15, Verona Local 72 hosted Active Shooter Training, where nearly 100 law enforcement officers from across the county gathered to learn from the best while preparing for the worst.
One of the best was Local 72’ s Officer Justin Nielsen, who reflected on his eight years of experience in the military to lead the training program as the head instructor.
“ We’ re taught as( military) staff sergeants that replicating battlefield conditions is one of the greatest advantages that you can give your soldiers,” Nielsen explained.“ Trying to put them
50 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ SEPTEMBER 2017
More than 100 officers from Essex County joined to participate in the Active Shooter Training at Verona’ s F. N. Brown Elementary School.
in the place of what they might experience in a controlled environment – that’ s what I’ m trying to do on the law enforcement side to show that you can train hard and safely at the same time.”
Nielsen brought in experienced SWAT operators, as well as agents who specialize in counterterrorism with the FBI, to train officers in emergency response to an active-shooter situation. The drill covered dispatch, entry techniques, interior operations such as room clearing and force-on-force scenarios. To increase the authenticity of the drills, fire and EMS personnel