Encountering an active shooter situation is an unfortunate reality members of law enforcement face on a daily basis and College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Law Enforcement Program takes this potential threat seriously.
Nineteen students recently participated in an active shooter training at the Canyon County Center. This scenario-based training – provided to every Law Enforcement student at the College – incorporates team movement, emergency communications, suspect containment, arrest techniques, and first aid with gunshot wound care. For three hours, multiple active shooter situations are successfully brought to life with the assistance of highly-skilled instructors and dedicated role players.
“This type of training goes well above what most recruits will see at this level,” commented Program Director, LeRoy Forsman. “We feel strongly our students need to be prepared for significant critical incidents.”
Jason Cantrell, an instructor in the CWI Law Enforcement Program, serves as the lead instructor for the training.
“As a father and member of this community, my biggest fear is a school shooting,” he said. “I want to do everything in my power to make sure, if that day ever comes, the school and community are prepared.”
Cantrell, who is also the SWAT Team Commander and Sergeant over the Training Division at the Nampa Police Department, said this ongoing partnership between local law enforcement and CWI is beneficial to the College.
“I want to be an influence in the students’ lives,” he said. “As an officer who still responds to calls and is involved in the ever-changing criminal element, I can help ensure program training and instruction continue to stay relevant and up-to-date.”
Additionally, Cantrell pointed out the value this type of training is to local law enforcement agencies and the surrounding community.
“We hope to hire some of the great students who come from CWI,” he said. “A good police officer is so valuable to the community. If I can help CWI students better prepare as officers, I have accomplished my goal.”
Role players this time around included “active shooters”, Sean Krone and Josh Teuscher, graduates from class two of the CWI Law Enforcement Program, and 18 students from CWI’s Emergency Medical Services Program who volunteered to spend the afternoon running, screaming, and faking injuries as actors in the scenarios.
“Mr. Reid and Chief Forsman like to bring us back to help train,” said Krone. “We’ve been through it before, so we understand the stresses the students are going through. Additionally, it keeps us invested in the law enforcement community.”
Krone said the best part of being involved was seeing the students learn from their mistakes and improve.
“It is a fun training!” he said. “Even knowing what was happening, as one of the actors, I was still getting hyped up.”
The reality of encountering an active shooter situation is frightening, but thanks to the training CWI’s Law Enforcement students receive, they are better prepared to act in the face of such a threat and protect those they serve within the community.