66 SFS train with elite Massachusetts state trooper team

  • Published
  • By Meredith March
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Recent active-shooter situations in military and civilian communities have underscored the necessity for law enforcement in both sectors to have specialized training when responding to such a threat. While these tragic events are extremely unlikely to happen, the Hanscom community can be assured that the 66th Security Forces Squadron and local law enforcement personnel are trained to deal with them effectively.

As part of an ongoing partnership with the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations team, which regularly trains local, state and federal agencies, members of the 66 SFS have been receiving specialized tactical training on how to respond to active-shooter scenarios.

Since the STOP team not only trains, but also responds to events requiring special police tactics throughout Massachusetts, having other organizations trained to end an active-shooter situation before these troopers can arrive could mean the difference between tragedy and triumph.

During the most recent training session, which took place April 12 at Hanscom, the Massachusetts State Police Troopers instructed the security forces Airmen in dealing specifically with an unstable person carrying a firearm and firing at people in a confined, populated area.

The day-long training session began with classroom discussion, followed by field exercises in the afternoon.

The building where the exercises took place provided a setting that could simulate office or school environments, both of which contain multiple corridors, rooms and stairwells. Because these settings are often the scenes of active-shooter attacks, these are places where responders need to be trained to act quickly.

While the STOP team also responds to events throughout Massachusetts that require special police tactics, it is vital that other law enforcement organizations are trained to end an active-shooter situation before these troopers can arrive, said Robert Marquis, Massachusetts State Trooper.

"Security forces are going to be the first responders if anything happens here, so they need to be proficient in tactics in these settings," Marquis said. "They won't have the luxury of calling and waiting for someone else to diffuse the situation, so they're going to have to be able to find and deal with the threat."

The cooperative training is extremely valuable for the Airmen because they are able to benefit from the experience the STOP team has in the field while building a strong working relationship and good communication with its members, said Capt. Nicholas Petren, 66 SFS Training Operations officer.

"The STOP team is made up of experts in this type of response," explained Captain Petren. "They would eventually be responding anyway, in case of a real situation. By training together we're ensuring all involved organizations can offer an integrated response, which gives us the highest possible chance for success."

While he would prefer never to have to use the knowledge he gained, Tech. Sgt. Charles Humphrey found the STOP team's shooter simulation to be especially effective.

"The exercise provided a realistic atmosphere for preparing to react during a worst case scenario -- something we don't want to deal with and hope never to have to deal with," he said. "The realism is the most valuable part of our preparation, because these are the things we see on the news and read about, and we train for it."