Suffolk First Responders Train For Active Shooter

Police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel from across Suffolk County joined forces for a large-scale active shooter training exercise designed to prepare first responders for a crisis they hope never comes.

The exercise, held at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, brought together members of the Suffolk County Police Department and other agencies to practice how they would respond and coordinate during a major incident.

Suffolk County Police Sgt. Kirkwood Johnson of the department’s Homeland Security Section said the training is critical because a real-life attack would require a response extending well beyond a single department.

“Anytime something of this magnitude were to unfortunately happen in real life, it wouldn’t just be the Suffolk County Police Department handling it,” Johnson said. Johnson said sheriff’s deputies, New York State Police, town and village police departments, firefighters and EMS personnel could all be called upon during a major emergency.

“Something of a magnitude like this, we would all wind up working together,” Johnson said. “We have exercises like this so that we can get used to working together.” The large-scale drill gave participating agencies an opportunity to train side by side, strengthening communication and coordination before an actual emergency occurs.

Johnson said active-threat preparation is not limited to occasional major exercises. Suffolk County police officers train repeatedly throughout the year at different types of locations.

“We continually have our officers run through scenarios like this,” Johnson said.

Those training locations include schools, office buildings and houses of worship, exposing officers to different environments and challenges they could encounter during an emergency.

The goal is straightforward: prepare first responders for an event everyone hopes they will never have to confront, while ensuring multiple agencies are ready to operate together if a major incident occurs.