With school fast-approaching, the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office is preparing to keep our children safe. They’ve shared the media release below to update the community on their most recent efforts:
Media Release -School Safety
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office has recently completed emergency response training for all Deputy Sheriff’s employed by the office. The training, called ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) is considered the National standard for law enforcement when it comes to active shooter incidents or incidents involving active assaults of any kind.
ALERRT has been reviewing incidents for many years to learn from the past and partnering with many experts to develop tactics that are being taught universally with agencies all across the Country. This happens so that we are better prepared to respond to these types of emergencies faster with what has been identified as industry best practices. The training also involved law enforcement learning rapid lifesaving skills to save the critically injured. Response and lifesaving procedures were drilled repeatedly through intense scenario based responses in a real world setting. While it is inappropriate to discuss specific tactics, it was undeniably invaluable for those of us in law enforcement.
The Sheriff’s Office certified Deputy Lincoln Troyer as an instructor in the ALERRT program. Deputy Troyer is An 8 year veteran of the office, a military veteran and current S.W.A.T. team member. Deputy Troyer was involved in training all of our staff along with other instructors from the FBI and other agencies. Troyer has also been an instructor for Deputies and Officers from numerous other agencies in Tuscarawas, Stark and surrounding counties. The ultimate goal is to have any officer, with any agency be able to jump into an emergency situation with rapid, proven tactics to be able to move together even if they have never met. We will remain committed to the training of others.
This universal training was only the beginning of our commitment to raise the standard for emergency response within the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office. The office has also spent thousands of dollars on new equipment needed to rapidly respond to various emergencies as well as thousands of dollars in trauma gear to help the wounded.
Our commitment continues with developing better dispatch protocols to save time and ongoing skills assessment to sharpen our tactics and lifesaving skills. We have been in communication with the school districts to better plan our response and for quicker entry into the schools if needed. More importantly, we are further developing the valuable relationships needed to have open lines of communication with all of the schools and with the students. The resolve of the school districts equals our own and these educators and administrators are our most valuable partners in working to keep our schools safe.
But we need you:
Our most valuable tactic is early identification of a threat. We know that all the tactics in the world can only mitigate some injury and death. Our main objective is early intervention with those thinking of doing harm to others. We remain committed to community engagement and Crisis Intervention skills. We ask all parents and students to report concerns to a school official or to law enforcement so that we can intervene before a tragedy takes place.
“If you see or hear something, say something” is what we ask of the public. Never assume that a person who is talking about harming someone won’t go through with it. Report what you know, let us make the situation safe before something terrible happens and death or prison are the only options left. In virtually every tragedy across this nation, someone knew something but failed to report it.
The safest communities don’t get that way by accident. They get that way because they work seamlessly together. Students, parents, schools and law enforcement must make security the #1 priority and part of our everyday culture. This community belongs to us all and it is the responsibility of us all to do what we can to keep it safe.
Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell
Contact Sheriff Orvis Campbell 330-339-2000
