Critical Decision Making is a Focus of Police and Fire Training in Arroyo Grande
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. - Training exercises for police and fire departments are taking place in various locations in SLO county this week and over the weekend.
Some will continue next week.
In San Luis Obispo, a 20-acre property with 2 homes is in use for a structure fire training opportunity before it faces potential demolition, and that operation will be carried on through next week.
The police departments for Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach, plus California State Parks Rangers, Five Cities Fire Authority, and CAL FIRE, are staging training exercises at Calvary Chapel church and other Five Cities locations.
“This is training for critical incidents and responding to them,” says Sgt. Matt Goodman, Grover Beach Police detective and site coordinator. “Typically, the active shooter is what most people know as a critical incident that makes the headlines in the news.”
Calvary Chapel church in Arroyo Grande hosted the event Friday, and the lead pastor proudly served as the cook at lunchtime, praising the work of those in uniform who take the highest of risks every day.
“Our congregation believes deeply in law enforcement and what they do, so when they approached me and asked if they could do some kind of a training, I thought, yes, absolutely,” says Calvary Chapel pastor George Nevarez.
Authorities used press releases, social media and door-knocking to alert neighbors ahead of the training.
“I think it's good for us to be transparent and share this information,” says Det. Sgt. Goodman. “I think it's good for knowledge purposes.”
As for the training exercises themselves, a high level of realism is achieved with a combination of role players and tactical training technology.
“We have the ability to utilize equipment from a company called SB Tactical,” says Det. Sgt. Goodman. “The officers wear a vest that has sensors on it. They wear a shock belt and they have special firearms that only emit an IR laser. And the sensors absorb the laser and then it sends a signal to the shock vest and the officer will get that immediate response that they have been shot. You get 50,000 volts and a 10th of a second.”
Friday at Calvary Chapel was focused on piecemeal training and running drills.
Saturday is what they call ’Scenario Day,’ and they’ll be staging real-time active shooter exercises at grover beach elementary school.
These trainings happen every year.
Program instructors say they’re an essential part of preparation for the critical, fast decisions police officers, firefighters and rangers have to make, sometimes in life-or-death situations.
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