VIDEO: Rye PD Trains on Forcible Entry & Active Shooter at School Campus

School safety is a top of mind issue across our country due to the myriad of active shooter incidents including the recent May 24th shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

With this in mind, the Rye PD conducted training Sunday on forcible entry into a classroom in response to an active shooter situation. The school district offered the Rye High School and Middle School campus, where a number of doorways that are about to be replaced as part on ongoing renovations were offered up for the training.

“Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times. It’s something that we need to be skilled in,” said Sergeant and Special Operations Supervisor Lance Hinrichs, who oversaw the training. “[The school district] graciously allowed us to go ahead and utilize four of those doors that are slated for replacement so we’ve got a better operational understanding of what it would take if we didn’t have physical access to these doors in order to gain entry to fulfill our responsibilities.”

“We are committed to ensuring that all of first responders are prepared to respond to any emergency in our schools,” Public Safety Commissioner Mike Kopy told MyRye.com. “We are fortunate that the school construction was taking place now. Real life training such as this is not often available – and almost never in the city. This training is only one component that takes place on regular basis by the Rye Police and Fire Departments in our schools and summer camps.”

Watch PD during this exercise breach the door, enter and clear the classroom. At the end you see them practice applying tourniquets on themselves in the event they are shot. The entire sequence takes under 60 seconds.

Watch the video:

During the training, Rye PD officers used a Halligan bar, a forcible entry tool commonly used by firefighters, and a sledgehammer to gain entry to a classroom. “Anytime you look at a door in terms of having to force entry, you’re looking at a very dynamic and specific situation for that specific door in ways that they open inwards, outwards, the locking mechanisms,” said Sergeant Hinrichs. “It’s knowing the right tools, and using the tools in the appropriate way to apply the right amount of force and pressure to a door to make it want to open.”

Officers actively discussed scenarios during the training such as the various ways to broach a door, how to respond with different numbers of officers, how to clear a room and how to keep themselves as well as students and adults as safe as possible during an active shooter situation. The PD keeps floor plans of the various buildings available and works to familiarize officers with the layout and configurations of the various classrooms.

“[This is] the school district and the city and the police department having that continued dialogue to try to better serve and try to better mitigate a future emergency,” said Hinrichs.

Watch a second exercise:

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Watch a third exercise:

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