MOUNTAIN TOP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It’s an event that no one can ever really be ready for, but one that Luzerne County residents are learning to be better prepared for; facing an active shooter situation.
People of the Mountain Top Area are choosing to be as prepared as possible for a potential active shooter scenario.
On Wednesday, the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training team, better known as ALERRT, and Luzerne County officers hosted an active shooter training event.
Lessons they hope they never have to use.
It has become a worldwide issue and a big concern for people. As mass shootings continue to haunt our nation, people in one part of Luzerne County are learning how to react in such a dangerous situation.
Rob Rathbone of Mountain Top, who is very active with his local school’s PTA program, is now more educated on how to better protect himself and those inside the school, thanks to the Mountain Top police departments.
“If I’m there, one more person with some knowledge that can maybe protect some people, not to be the hero, but just to get people to do the right thing and to minimize damage if we can,” said Rathbone.
On Wednesday, dozens sat inside Maria Sutherland Kirby Library and were trained on the Craze program, which defines what an active/attack shooter event is, statistics on past attacks, and the best practices for civilians to employ before, during, and after an event.
“It changed my way of thinking that. I never really thought about the denial aspect it was always it was either run or fight. I never put that middle section in there,” Rathbone explained.
The most important part for people to realize is based on three things; to avoid, to deny, and to defend.
“To avoid the situation of it at all possible, and if you can’t, then you deny entry and you keep the bad guy out, the perpetrator out, and if all else fails, then you defend yourself and you don’t make yourself a victim,” said Brian Stout of the Rice Township Police Department.
The goal of offering such training is to help people keep these kinds of scenarios at the forefront of their minds.
“This needs to be a conversation that’s had daily, monthly. We can’t forget about these situations and that we are training on it and that we don’t forget and only wait for the news to show us these happening,” Rathbone explained.
Rathbone feels it’s worth taking the time to be educated on life-saving information.
“It’s worth it for everybody to come pick up the training so they can learn the right ways to do things,” Rathbone continued.
The ALERRT organization travels all across the commonwealth to bring awareness to active shooter training.
