An old elementary school in Crofton will be the site of some specialized RCMP training this week. Nanaimo RCMP Constable Gary O’Brien will be one of three instructors teaching what’s called “Immediate Action Rapid Deployment”.
He says it’s a way to deal with threats in public places, like school shootings. And while they’ve never had to deal with a situation like this in real life, they need to be ready for anything. O’Brien says instead of waiting for a specialized team to arrive, the training teaches officers how to jump into action right away.
O’Brien says the training includes a mix of classroom work, and scenario-based training, involving police acting as the suspect. Police will be armed with their usual gear, but their guns will be modified to shoot paintballs. O’Brien says 24 officers will be re-certified in the cutting-edge training and 12 more will be taking the course for the first time.