Missouri State University’s Dr. William Sandel, associate professor and assistant director of Partnerships and Outreach in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ), and Cody Brewington, director of MSU’s Public Safety Training Center, recently spoke at the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) conference Dec. 2-5, 2024, in San Marcos, Texas.

Sandel said he and Brewington received a special invitation to discuss the success of their Missouri active shooter training program. They spoke in front of law enforcement, fire, emergency management and school officials from across the country, according to CCJ School Director Dr. Brett Garland.

“Cody and I were honored to be invited to represent Missouri,” Sandel said. Only three other states — Virginia, Iowa and Maryland — were invited to the conference, he added.

MSU’s training program partners with the Missouri Office of Homeland Security, according to Sandel and Brewington. The program has received nearly $400,000 in external funding, Garland noted.

Multiple topics covered

Using a panel discussion format, Sandel and Brewington fielded questions from their audience on logistics, funding and why MSU chose the ALERRT training program.

The format covered a broad range of topics, including feedback from participants, challenges, obstacles and lessons learned, Brewington said.

Successful program keeps growing

According to Sandel, MSU’s ALERRT program began when the Missouri Office of Homeland Security wanted to offer the national standard of active shooter training throughout the state. Sandel became a liaison between MSU and ALERRT.

MSU was an ideal location for Missouri’s ALERRT program, Sandel said. Brewington already had several logistical elements in place to train and pay law enforcement instructors.

“We began building a cadre of instructors in February of 2023,” Sandel said.

Since then, the program has not only grown, it has also achieved great success.

Brewington said the current training cadre consists of 70 current and former law enforcement officers from across Missouri.

“We have hosted 36 courses and trained over 500 officers through 134 different departments,” he added. “Of the over 500 trainees, 178 come from sheriff’s offices, 314 from police departments, and 26 from state agencies.”

“[The ALERRT] conference is the main stage for active shooter training and active shooter case debriefs,” Brewington said. “To be a part of the program and discuss what is taking place in Missouri with the ALERRT program was an excellent experience.”

Photos provided by Cody Brewington.