Howard County Has New Program To Train Emergency Responders For Active Shooters

HOWARD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- It's a problem that has plagued our country and even the world: mass shootings. From Columbine to San Bernardino, we are seeing more of the attacks.

Marcus Washington reports it's the reason behind a recent push from Howard County to prepare its emergency responders to react and react quickly.

The mass shooting at the Columbia Mall in 2014 left two people dead and scars on a community that continue to heal.

It also pushed Howard County officials to make sure if something like that should happen again, they would be ready to provide safety and security within seconds.

"We see what happens throughout the country and other places in the world so we want to make sure we're ready. We're not going to be reactive; we want to be proactive proactive to make sure we protect our citizens as best we can," said County Executive Allan Kittleman.

Since late winter, both the fire and police departments have been simulating scenarios at the local training academy, making sure they can get to victims before officials clear the scene.

"From what happened around the country and around the world, we don't have that luxury of time," said Howard County Fire Chief John Butler.

Time is uncertain in these situations and they want to make sure they can react safely for both the victims and the first responders.

"We really don't know what to expect when we go in there. Time is precious when you're talking about mass casualty situations, so when these individuals can get medical attention, the better chance we have saving them," said Howard County Chief of Police Gary Gardner.

By the end of May, the majority of departments will have received the training.