Members of Albert Lea Police Department, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Albert Lea Fire Department convened Feb. 23 for active killer response training at Hawthorne Elementary School. The training started last year and was designed by members of the police and fire departments. This year, the departments partnered with Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and made a few improvements, according to Albert Lea Police Department Lt. Darin Palmer. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

In the training, different student volunteers opt to be suspects or victims in different scenarios for law enforcement and fire and medical first responders to learn how to coordinate their response strategies. Students are given a safety brief at the beginning of the training and are allowed to participate according to their comfort level. Simunition ammo is used in the training, where rounds are almost like a paintball, except it is fired through a real firearm to maximize the realistic feel, Palmer said. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Student volunteers in the Feb. 23 training opted whether they wanted to be deceased victims, or wounded victims who needed to be removed rapidly for medical treatment during the different training scenarios. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

"Members of participating agencies learn to work with each other in a mass causality scenario," Palmer said of the coordinated training. "Everything from incident command to victim rescue to individual team movements are taught, analyzed and corrected." - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Different scenarios simulated in Feb. 23's active killer response training were single shooter, multiple shooters and explosions with additional IEDs. In addition to Hawthorne Elementary School, Palmer said the coordinated local training has been done at Southwest Middle School previously and they're hoping to train in the Freeborn County courthouse as well. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

For those wondering what the plan is for their school or workplace should a dangerous situation arise, Palmer said "Follow your school’s safety plan. Schools have researched the best course of action for their students and faculty and, in general, have been endorsed by their local police school liaison officer." - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune

Palmer said the training has developed in response to an increase in "active killer events" in general over the years. "We, as first responders in our community, needed to come together to coordinate our response," he said. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune