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Emergency responders train for active shooter situations using technology

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Police, fire, and EMS finished up three days of active shooter training in Lancaster county, and they did so usi...

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. -- Police, fire, and EMS finished up three days of active shooter training in Lancaster county, and they did so using technology.

40 agencies were represented from the South-Central region in Manheim Township, all to take part in a three day program, responding to active shooter situations on computers.

It's a 3D, first person point of view software, similar to Call of Duty, where people collaborate to solve missions.

The program started off with simple situations, and today, emergency responders were dealt the most difficult active shooter situations.

"At a live event, you have so many responders needed and so many role players to make the thing realistic that it becomes almost very difficult to manage, and depending on where you're assigned in that, you might only see and hear one little piece. Here with this process, you get to see how everything fits together and understand how the roles interconnect and are inter-dependent on each other," said Bill Godrey, who was the lead instructor in the active shooter management.

In a real life training scenario, organizers say first responders would need hundreds of role players and hundreds of actors. The system makes it possible for crews to get the training they need and to work together for a real life scenario.

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