An active shooter training exercise was held for the Sacramento State Police Department and city emergency response teams in preparation for dangerous scenarios they may encounter on campus.

Sac State Lieutenant Dave Heaphy said these exercises are to prepare for emergency situations that involve floods, fires, hazmat situations and active shooters. After they conduct their situations, a debriefing process occurs to figure out what went wrong and what went right.

No real weapons were used during the training and a security officer was on set to regulate those involved with the training. Instead of using weapons, the department used laser guns with new technology to show where people would be shot and who would be shot, depending on who was wearing the equipment, Heaphy said.

“Preparation,” Heaphy said. “If you had to distill it down to one word, it’s preparation, when it comes to getting ready for active shooters.”

The role Heaphy played in the activity was to radio when to start each situation.

“We want to simulate it and make it as real as possible,” Heaphy said. “We want to be able to team up on a location and respond on a situation.”

Dispatchers going into the building to conduct their last scenario @TheStateHornet @sacstate #ActiveShooterTraining pic.twitter.com/oAMDCzQEfK

— Zack J. (@WashJones) August 27, 2015

The Sacramento State Police Department, campus security officers, the Sacramento Police Department, probation officers and the Sacramento Fire Department were on site for the training exercise.

The Emergency Notification System, which is a management tool to address incidents that occur in the community, is the best way for the police department to get the word out when an event happens, Heaphy said. This system includes text messaging, the electronic boards placed around campus, and the loud speakers on top of campus buildings.

Sac State Chief of Police Mark Iwasa said their department needs to be prepared for a variety of disasters that can occur.

“The chances of these [active shooters] happening are very remote,” Iwasa said. “Although they aren’t as common as people think, you don’t want to be unprepared.”

During the active shooter exercise on Thursday in Douglass Hall, USA Today reported an active shooter on the Mississippi State campus, in which the university had to lock down campus buildings for several hours.

Sac State Detective Greg Thompson said, in regards to the active shooter at Mississippi State, that it is extremely important for both the campus police department and for outside sources to respond to these situations.

“This is one of the only trainings that we would do that brings a lot of skills that we use all at one time,” Thompson said.

Thompson also said it is their job to keep everyone safe and to do it both efficiently and appropriately.