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<p>I got a firsthand look at active shooter training Friday that offered a clearer perspective at the challenges that police officers might face one day.</p><p>Police from local departments were performing active shooter training exercises inside the Pittston Area Middle School on Thursday and Friday. The training, conducted by Evolution Ordinance and Consulting LLC trained police officers from different departments to work together to respond to situations involving active shooters.</p><p>Jeff Balut, chief of police for Hughestown, gave me the opportunity to participate in active-shooter training exercises on Friday. Balut and Sam DeSimone, owner of Evolution Ordinance, oversaw the training.</p><p>Officers used modified Glock handguns and AR-15 rifles designed to shoot non-lethal rounds during the exercises. Balut explained that the Glocks shoot essentially .22-caliber paint rounds. He added that they are &#8220;fairly accurate&#8221; and can produce a 3-inch spread at about 25 yards.</p><p>Having been raised around firearms for most of my life, I was surprised at how real the guns looked. The Glocks&#8217; blue-and-black color scheme indicated they were training tools &#8212; everything else, from their weight to looking down the sights, felt like the real thing.</p><p>Trainers outfitted me with body armor and a helmet for safety. I was the active shooter, and another volunteer had to run down the hallway screaming, &#8220;He&#8217;s killing everyone!&#8221;</p><p>Another volunteer stayed in the room with me as a student. It was the police squads&#8217; jobs to sweep the hallway, find me and bring me to justice.</p><p>My job was simple &#8212; put up as much resistance as possible.</p><p>I wasn&#8217;t nervous about the experience up until I started putting my protective gear on. Even though I had a helmet, vest and neck and groin protectors, I got antsy up until the first simulation started.</p><p>Once the volunteer ran down the hall screaming, that&#8217;s when my blood really started to pump.</p><p>I shot off a couple of rounds into a nearby trash can to give the officers an idea where I was. Their voices got louder and louder, and finally, I saw one of them appear in the door way.</p><p>I started shooting my non-lethal Glock at the first officer. He returned fire, and the rest of the squad moved into the room in a fluid motion. The room was filled with the shots of our guns, which sounded more like pellet guns, only a bit louder.</p><p>I eventually went to the ground, and just like if the situation were real, the squad quickly surrounded me and placed me under arrest.</p><p>I played the role of the shooter a second time, and as the screaming victim once. After each exercise, Balut and DeSimone would tell each squad what they did right and what they could have done better.</p><p>The experience was an awesome one to participate in. It&#8217;s not everyday that I get to suit up and help police officers train, even if means being their target.</p><p>Balut told me a key component of the training was to get officers used to the idea that they may have to work with officers from different departments during those responses.</p><p>Their sense of camaraderie showed at the training.</p><p>Though it was a fun experience, the underlying reasons for the training are scary realities. An active shooter situation can happen at any time and anywhere &#8212; the officers were training to respond to them when the bullets are real, the threat is great and mistakes could mean the difference between life and death.</p><p>Looking back, I can only hope that I made at least a positive impact in helping officers prepare for a day that I hope never comes for any of them.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Heavily armed police offers search for Travis Kellar at Friday&#8217;s active-shooter drill at the Pittston Middle School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_TTL071115Police12.jpg</photo0><caption0>Heavily armed police offers search for Travis Kellar at Friday&#8217;s active-shooter drill at the Pittston Middle School. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger |Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Travis-Kellar2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">&#8216;Suspect&#8217; Travis Kellar </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Travis-Kellar2.jpg</photo1><caption1>&#8216;Suspect&#8217; Travis Kellar </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger |Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Reporter trades notepad for weapon to help police train at Pittston Area Middle School