Training to fall back on: GRPD runs through immersive active shooter scenarios

The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) is training this week to confront the painful reality of an active shooter.

With former President Trump’s visit to Grand Rapids Saturday looming, the department is tight-lipped about specific preparations.

“We will be there,” GRPD Captain David Siver told FOX 17. “We’ll have a very well-thought-out plan, along with our federal partners and other neighboring agencies.”

The training on deck Wednesday has been on their books for months.

“Unfortunately, the mass casualty events have definitely become more common,” Captain Siver explained.

All uniformed men and women of the GRPD have had the opportunity to go through the specialized training.

The scenarios were put together inside Warren Faber Hall at Cornerstone University.

“You won't rise to the level of your training; you'll fall to it,” Captain Siver said. “So, if you're trained at a much higher level, then you perform better.”

In a realistic exercise, officers responded to reports of a gunman on Cornerstone’s campus.

The simulation was intense, with police radios crackling reports and witnesses shouting out bits of information.

A GRPD contact team swiftly neutralized the shooter, but not before several “victims” were left injured in a hallway.

The department is conducting extensive training on a monthly basis, focused on staying on top of current techniques.

You can review extensive recommendations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security HERE on how to stay safe in the event of an active shooter.

The FBI also offers similar information at their site HERE .

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