NOC Tonkawa hosts ALERRT active shooter training

The Northern Oklahoma College Security Department, Tonkawa Police Department and law enforcement agencies across the state recently participated in Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) on the Tonkawa campus.

This dynamic, scenario-based training course instructed by subject matter experts is designed to better prepare first-responders to effectively respond to acts of violence, such as an active shooter event.

The ALERRT curriculum, developed after the tragedy at Columbine High School, has become the national standard in active shooter response training. The first responders to the Fort Hood shootings on Nov. 5, 2009, had been trained by ALERRT, and credited their swift and effective response on that day to the ALERRT training they had received.

Jason Johnson, NOC vice president for Student Affairs, said, “Northern has placed a high priority on emergency preparedness and this is one initiative that will support our goal of strengthening the safety and wellbeing of the college and the community.”

Local area course participants included NOC security officers Rick Lowe, Lonnie Rhea and Gary Taylor, and from the Tonkawa Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Garcia, Officer Kristen Johnson, Cpl. John Garcia and Reserve Officer John Kuhlmann.