Mid-Missouri first responders train others for active threats

Five University of Missouri faculty members participated in a 90-minute active threat classroom course offered by the MU police department Wednesday afternoon.

MUPD’s Citizens’ Response to Active Threat (CRAT) teaches participants how to respond to an active shooter. Another CRAT class includes a hands-on simulation portion.

“It’s critical to realize police officers can’t be everywhere, so people are going to have to be able to respond themselves, depending on where they are and what’s going on around them,” said Major Brian Weimer.

Weimer said the class is designed to show participants the different options they have when dealing with an active threat. CRAT teaches the FBI’s “Run, Hide, Fight” method.

Run away from the threat if you can. If not, hide and barricade where you are and fight back if you encounter the threat.

Weimer said threats involving cars, such as what happened in Manhattan earlier this week, have made law enforcement take a second look at how to prepare for events.

“What it comes down, to plain and simple, is the individuals need to be observant of their surroundings and what’s going on around them,” he said. “It could be a vehicle, it could be a person, it could be a number of things.”

Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Tim Bach with the Columbia Fire Department tells ABC 17 News the best way for first responders to be prepared for an event like in Manhattan is to practice.

“I’ve noticed with our last couple trainings that people are taking it a little more serious and a little more real,” he said. “I think we all have that in the back of our head that it could happen here. Columbia is not exempt from something like that happening.”