Feb 16, 2018 2 min read

After 17 people were killed by a gunman at a school in Florida Wednesday, parents are no doubt concerned about their own children’s safety.

Guy Kuzak, commander of Washington Regional SWAT Team, said that while there has not been an active-shooter situation in Washington County since he’s been in charge, “the likelihood of Washington County having one is as high as anywhere else in the country.

“We’re not immune to these types of situations.”

Kuzak said in the event of an active-shooter situation at a Washington County school, the SWAT team would respond. However, he said SWAT teams rarely neutralize active shooters.

“That’s done by patrol officers,” Kuzak said. “In most cases, they’re resolved by the first officer on scene.”

Most shooting events are over within five minutes, and Kuzak estimates that SWAT response is about 45 minutes “on a good day.” As a result, the shooter would likely be neutralized by the time the SWAT team arrives, and their work would mostly consist of securing and making the building safe for investigators and other personnel, according to Kuzak.

However, Washington County police have prepared for an active-shooter situation through a program for all county patrol-level officers, according to Kuzak. The program, spearheaded by Chief Douglas Grimes of Peters Township, teaches these officers SWAT tactics.

“We figured if we can train them, that’s like putting more SWAT guys on the road,” Kuzak said.

Kuzak is also a sergeant for Cecil Township police and said schools in the Canon-McMillan district are “very progressive” in terms to safety, with full-time law enforcement officers on patrol.

“They’re not school resource officers,” Kuzak explained. “They’re police officers from our towns, and they are in schools 24/7.”

With all of the precautions taken, Kuzak said Washington County is “way ahead of the curve” for an active-shooter situation.