DOTHAN, Ala. — Even before the mass shootings the country has seen in the past weeks, the Dothan Police Department has been training in case a similar situation was to happen in the Wiregrass.
“Once a year we bring all of our people in, and we do some form of active shooter, active training,” Dothan Police Assistant Lead Commander Mock Pepper said. “It’s evolved. We went from the basic principles that are taught standardized nationwide for all law enforcement to a point were we actually learn to provide medical care during the actual event.”
In the event of a shooting, residents would likely alert dispatchers who would then contact patrolmen.
Mock told WDHN that that communication chain would result in rapid response. He said that’s the number one of the major goals during a shooting: to stop the shooter and prevent any deaths.
“We have something called the priority of life and the first on that list is the innocent people that are involved,” Pepper said. “Whether it be the actual victims or witnesses to the crime or third parties that are caught in the process of the crime, that’s our number one priority.”
According to Mock, the best way for officers to prepare is to undergo high-stress training.
“If you learn to operate your weapon or to control yourself in a stressful situation. If you can do it in training under a stressful situation in training, obviously you’re more likely to do it well during an event.”
