Pasco SROs Train for Active Shooter on Campus

Wesley Chapel - Pasco Sheriff's Office School Resource Officer Cpl. Blake Swezey slowly peers around the corner of the building, Glock 40-caliber handgun in one hand, radio in the other. His backup, Cpl. John Peteck, warily keeps an eye on the set of double doors behind them.

Minutes before, the two deputies began their search for an unknown gunman, reportedly roaming the school halls randomly shooting victims. Glancing down an outside corridor, the two deputies spot movement behind a large planter.

"Possible suspect sighted, wearing a blue shirt," Swezey reports into his radio as both deputies point their weapons at the planter.

"Show us your hands!" both deputies shout as they crouch behind the corner of the wall. "Stop moving and show us---."

Above - Pasco Sheriff's Office SRO Cpl. John Peteck keeps a bead on a suspected "gunman" as Cpl. Blake Swezey reports information over the radio.

"BANG-BANG!!" echoes a reply from behind the planter as the "gunman moves out from behind the cover and points his blue handgun at the deputies.

"BANG-BANG!" the deputies shout as they return "fire."

"You're dead," claims the shooter, Pasco Sheriff's Office Explorer Chris Ryan.

"No, you're dead," replies Cpl. Peteck. "We all had you before you even made a move."

The deputies continue to good-naturedly argue with the youth as they head back to the classroom where their exercise began.

The group was participating in the Pasco Sheriff's Office's annual active shooter exercise aimed at training school resource officers who may have to respond to a school shooting. The training is important as the number of school shootings in the nation has increased as has the philosophy in meeting such threats.

"The traditional response was to set up a perimeter, call for back-up and then send in the SWAT team," said Lt. Brian Prescott, Training Section supervisor. "But due to the extreme loss of life and injury to students and faculty in many well-publicized shootings, now our training emphasizes for any and all law enforcement officers to quickly enter the building, move to the sound of shooting or violence, and eliminate the threat."

Left - Pasco Sheriff's Office SRO Cpl. Joe Stimac checks two students as his partners, including Cpl. Christopher Magavero (left), keep a watchful eye on their surroundings.

The Training Section, SRO Unit and members of the Pasco School Board all coordinated to make the exercise as realistic as possible. An entire wing of Wesley Chapel High School was used for the exercise and a number of Pasco Sheriff's Office Explorers volunteered to be frightened students or gunmen during the scenarios. Darkened hallways, bathrooms and classrooms gave the "gunmen" multiple places to hide in ambush, and students were limited only in their imagination (and suggestions by deputy trainers) on what to do. Some hid, some sought out confrontations with the deputies, and some were decoys who portrayed themselves as frightened students, but were really "armed and dangerous."

Right - Deputies were given a blueprint of the school, which gave them valuable information about the area they were about to search.

We began the day with classroom instruction on the preparation SROs need to make with their respective schools before a tragedy occurs on their campus," said SRO Sgt. James Law.

Left - As his fellow deputies move quickly through a doorway, Pasco Sheriff's Office SRO Cpl. Gary Souto maintains vigilance behind his team.

This includes forming a crisis committee that determines the needs of their school, such as its particular problems and possible solutions. Once the issues are identified, this team or committee can then formulate a comprehensive plan to make the school safer. An example is a "crisis box" maintained by the school principal that contains essential items needed by law enforcement in the event of a school shooting

Items include:

• A current school yearbook for identification of students
• At least one school radio. (Law enforcement radios may not work in some schools)
• Keys for every door in the school
• Map of the school grounds
• Blueprint of the school buildings.

Right - Pasco Sheriff's SRO Cpls. Dan Olds and Scott Grant clear a darkened bathroom.

Like Any law enforcement training, the active shooter exercise stresses the importance of communication, especially in a rapidly evolving, extremely tense situation. Responding officers, school administrators, and the school faculty within the classroom all have a part to play in providing information that can save lives. An example is a "safe classroom" sign that a teacher can slip under the door into the hall that lets an officer know that their room is OK and the officer can continue his search for the gunman.

Left - A "gunman" waits in ambush down a darkened hall.

"We hope we never have to use this training," said Sgt. Law. "But it is important that our SROs practice the teamwork and communication needed for such an incident. When you are in a high stress situation like this, your actions resort back to your training."

Right - Pasco Sheriff's Office SRO Cpl. Angelo Musicaro keeps his eye peeled for any movement across a dark auditorium.

Note: Deputies had tape inserted into empty handgun chambers for safety purposes.

All photos by Pasco Sheriff's Office Public Information Director, Kevin Doll.