Arizona residents encouraged to take active shooter course

Northern Arizona residents are being encouraged to participate in an online, interactive web course offered by FEMA called “Active Shooter: What You Can Do.”

According to officials, the effort comes in light of the increase in mass-shooting incidents that have occurred across the country, specifically schools, and most recently the Connecticut massacre that left over two dozen children and adults dead.

“We don’t want people to panic, we want people to have an understanding and reasonable knowledge of what the possibilities are,” said Gerry Blair, Public Information Officer for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

CCSO and the Flagstaff Police Department are joining forces with the Flagstaff Unified School District, charter and other schools, county and city employees, and all community members to “increase awareness of and mental preparedness for, active shooter incidents.”

An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and other populated area.

“Upon completion of the course it is believed participants will be familiar with suggested actions to take when confronted with an active shooter, recognize potential workplace violence indicators, be aware of actions intended to prevent and prepare for potential incidents and understand ways to manage the consequences of an active shooter incident,” the course’s website said.

The free online course takes about 45 minutes to complete and is available to anyone.