OCONOMOWOC — As we continue learning more about what unfolded in Maine this week, steps for preparedness are constantly being looked at.
On Monday, Germantown Police shot and killed a gunman who tried to enter a middle school - a situation that drew a large and swift police presence with the help of agencies from across the region.
Friday, local law enforcement focused on improving efforts here to keep people safe.
It starts out with a call to 911, like any real, life-threatening incident would.
"Dispatch had to notify initial law enforcement and fire of there's something going on at Meadow View Elementary. From there, they got more 911 calls, and we had simulated patients inside the school to make this as realistic as possible," Bradley Bowen said.
Bowen's the Western Lakes Fire Chief. He said on Friday, that's how nearly two dozen law enforcement agencies and 175 personnel began an active shooter simulation. Bowen said it's one of their largest trainings yet.
"For the officers that first got here, heard simulated gun shots from outside the building, and they're trained to go respond to where the shooter is," Bowen explained.
These are new tactics being implemented after we've seen a skyrocketing of active shooter and mass casualty events across our country.
"We saw it this week here in Germantown right up the road, out in Maine what's happening," Bowen said.
When the threat is massive, so is the response. This activates a request for mutual aid that can span as far as across the state.
"We're constantly evolving our training the way we respond and the way that we're equipped for these incidents is different today than back in the Columbine shooting, and different than Uvalde, and different than Sandy Hook," Bowen added.
The Chief said previously, SWAT or tactical teams had to be the first to engage with shooters, leaving those who arrived first on scene helpless.
Now, training has changed, so any law enforcement whether it be police, SWAT, fire, or even paramedics, are prepared with ballistic gear to enter the incident as fast as possible.
"Today, they risk their lives to go save other people's lives. They're trained to go look for the sound, hear, and go to where that sound of gunshots is," Bowen said.
Law enforcement in Waukesha County also trains civilians.
This winter, they plan to hold sessions where anyone can come and learn tactics on how to protect yourself and others in these terrifying, but realistic scenarios.
"We take preparedness very seriously," Bowen added.
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