The Radford City Police Department participated in active threat training sessions throughout July.
The first two sessions were conducted through Louisiana State University’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education.
The LSU National Center, along with the top subject matter experts in the country, develops
courses that address the most current preparedness needs. The first course the Radford City Police Department participated in, alongside Radford Fire and EMS, the Radford Sheriff’s Department, and Radford University emergency management officials was Active Threat Integrated Response Care (ATIRC), designed to increase the survivability of victims injured during an active threat situation.
The course addresses the need for quick and decisive communication between law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services in an active threat event. This training also provides law enforcement officers with key medical skills to be used at the point of injury.
The hands-on exercises in the course help to improve communication between law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services during active shooter events, emphasizing the goal of increasing the survivability of the victims. These exercises also give participants experience working under duress during an active threat event in order to develop and solidify critical decision-making skills.
The second course was Active Threats on Campus and was attended by members of Radford
City Public Schools alongside Radford public safety officials.
This week, Radford City Police are conducting a final round of trainings in the evenings
from 5 – 10 p.m. at Radford High School. This is force-on force-training, and multiple law enforcement agencies are participating. Community members may see an
increased police presence in the area during those evenings.
“RCPD remains committed to training in the most up-to-date tactics with the most current
research and information,” said Pete Rutzinski, Radford’s interim Deputy Chief of Police.
“This allows our agency to be better prepared to protect and serve our community daily should an active threat incident arrive,”
