Etowah Co. School Resource Officers receive new trainings

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Early this week the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Division took part in in-house training classes for the upcoming school year.

On Monday Lead Forearms instructor Investigator Will Farley went over eight hours of firearms training with SROs. The training was tailored for Etowah’s SROs in their day-to-day operations in the schools.

On Tuesday Dr. Thomas Page and Gadsden Fire Commander/JSOG Medi Eric Estes taught the Tactical Medicine session where SROs were taught how to “stop the bleed” which can be used in the event that an officer or his partner is wounded during an active shooter situation they can remain in the fight.

The skills could also be used to help save the lives of victims in the immediate area once the threat has been eliminated and until advanced medical care can arrive.

On Wednesday the training was held at Glencoe High School under the instruction of SRO Deputy Craigh Tyler, DTF Agent Matt Sims and Investigator Jeffrey Riggs.

The instruction consisted of up-to-date building clearing techniques consisting of limited penetration and dynamic entry. SROs were able to participate in active shooter scenarios where they would have to eliminate the threat in team entries, officer link-ups and single officer responses.

After deputies eliminated the three they then had to use the skill they learned during the Tactical Medicine training by taking care of injuries on role players in these scenarios.

The sheriff’s office recently purchased medical kits for SROs to carry during day-to-day operations that contain one pair of nitrile gloves, EMT shears, one swat tourniquet, one quick clot dressing, one emergency trauma dressing, one S-Rolled Gauze and one chest seal with one cat tourniquet.