BARTOW, Fla. — There will be a lot of law enforcement activity this week at Bartow Middle School, but there's no need for concern.
Bartow Police Department plans to conduct its annual active shooting training at the school, located at 550 E. Clower St., on Tuesday and Thursday, the agency said in a news release.
The training is scheduled from 2-6 p.m. each day. During this time, the department says people may hear loud noises and emergency response vehicles.
Fire and paramedics will join officers to practice in the event of an active shooter, according to the agency. They will be challenged on how to respond, what to do while on scene and act in a certain amount of time.
"...Please do not be alarmed," the department said in a statement. "No live weapons will be used during the training."
Bartow's training comes as Pinellas County law enforcement agencies last week met at Clearwater's High Point Elementary School for their own exercise. The sheriff's office said the goal was to evaluate and improve preparedness for an actual emergency.
"We’re doing everything we can to be as prepared as we possibly can. That’s why we’re testing ourselves," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said earlier.
Law enforcement in Uvalde, Texas, has been roundly criticized for their "egregiously poor decision-making" during the mass shooting in May that took the lives of 19 students and two teachers. While students were trapped inside a classroom with the gunman called 911, officers were seen waiting outside.
No officers make entry into the classroom for more than 70 minutes, hallway surveillance video showed.