When Seconds Matter: How Active Shooter Training Saves Lives

The average attack is typically around six minutes. The hard truth is that law enforcement is able to confront the issue while it is occurring only half of the time. This leaves tremendous opportunity for training and informing the civilian response to protect themselves and the organizations they represent. In this episode, Fred discusses the ALERRT Center at Texas State with John Curnutt, Assistant Director and Hunter Martaindale, Ph.D., Director of Research. They share how important it is to instill a culture of preparedness (vs. fear) in organizations so everyone can prepare, or at least be aware, of these low frequency but very high intensity events. The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University was created in 2002 as a partnership between Texas State University, the San Marcos, Texas Police Department and the Hays County, Texas Sheriff’s Office to address the need for active shooter response training for first responders. In 2013, ALERRT at Texas State was named the National Standard in Active Shooter Response Training by the FBI. John Curnutt is one of the founding members of the Program and works for Texas State University as the Assistant Director for ALERRT. He is a former municipal police officer in Texas, serving nearly eighteen years on a multi-agency SWAT Team as a point-man, assistant team leader, team leader and then sniper. Dr. Hunter Martaindale is responsible for maintaining ALERRT’s research agenda. He holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University, and he actively researches active shooter events, tactical police training, and the effects of stress on law enforcement decision-making. ALERRT hosts a national integrated response conference each fall. Check out the details around this year’s event, October 30 - November 2, 2021. https://www.alerrtconference.org/