Deputies took to the halls of the Morgan County Courthouse in full equipment and even used training ammunition to prepare for an active shooter situation.
"The courthouse is an emotional place. A lot of people come to the courthouse , and you know it's not a good reason why they are here. It's either a civil case, where family or neighbors are fighting over property or divorce, or it could be a criminal case," Lt. Eric Fields said.
That's why the Morgan County Sheriff's Office wants to make sure their security team is prepared in case something goes wrong.
"The courthouse security team will be the first on scene, so it's important that they know their responsibilities,"Lt. Fields said.
The team discussed different tactics to use if someone shows up with a gun. They even got to go through several scenarios.
"You always have a plan. Sometimes a plan doesn't go like you practice," Lt. Fields said.
That's because there are so many scenarios and deputies may only have a split second to make a choice.
"We try to practice and prepare and do scenarios, so you know maybe we touch on something that we've practiced," Lt. Fields said.
They hope the training also helps their security team help prevent these types of situations.
"We touched on tactic on reading body language, so we can maybe approach the situation by being proactive to prevent an active shooter situation," Lt. Fields said.
The Morgan County Sheriff's Office says they train regularly. They do active shooter training at least once a year.
