An officer engages a simulated gunman while an innocent bystander surrenders during active shooter training at West Georgia Technical College’s Carroll Campus. The ALERRT course emphasizes rapid threat response and the ability to distinguish between suspects and civilians in high-stress situations.
More than 40 law enforcement officers from across West Georgia recently gathered at West Georgia Technical College’s Carroll Campus for an intensive weeklong training focused on preparing for active shooter incidents.
Led by certified ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) instructors from the West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, and University of West Georgia (UWG) Police Department, the training delivered nationally recognized tactics and procedures designed to save lives.
ALERRT is considered the gold standard in active shooter response training across the country. The program equips officers from different agencies—many of whom may be meeting for the first time during an actual emergency—with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to confront and stop a threat swiftly and effectively.
“This training is about more than just tactics, it’s about building trust and cohesion between agencies,” said WGTC Police Chief James Perry. “Should an event like this ever occur, we will be responding alongside each other. We want every officer to be prepared, confident, and ready to take decisive action.”
During the course, officers learned single and multi-officer entry techniques, with a two-part goal: stop the killing and stop the dying. Once a threat is neutralized, officers are trained to provide immediate medical aid and facilitate access to additional life-saving resources.
The training also highlighted the importance of consistent, high-quality instruction. All course instructors are ALERRT-certified and bring years of real-world law enforcement experience to the classroom and scenario-based exercises.
“To be truly effective at anything, one must have a deep, unwavering connection to the purpose behind their pursuit,” said Sergeant Nick Garner, an ALERRT instructor and officer with the UWG Police Department. “For us, that purpose is clear: the protection and service of our community. The officers in this course rose to the challenge, training for the unthinkable with courage and commitment.”
The importance of this type of training was made evident by past real-world events. The response to the Uvalde tragedy demonstrated the critical difference ALERRT training can make. While untrained officers failed to act in the early stages, ALERRT-trained officers ultimately stopped the threat more than an hour later.
Agencies represented in the training included WGTC Police, Carrollton Police, UWG Police, and Haralson County School Police. All participating agencies now have multiple officers certified in ALERRT techniques.
“WGTC was proud to host this training on our Carroll campus,” said Chief Perry. “We deeply appreciate the dedication of every officer who participated, and we remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout the seven counties we serve.”
The ALERRT program, developed by Texas State University, is built on a mission to provide affordable, standardized, and effective training to first responders nationwide. Through realistic, scenario-based instruction, the program ensures that officers are not only aware of the threats they may face—but are truly prepared to respond.
West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is one of the largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit www.westgatech.edu.
