Dallas police held a high-intensity active shooter demonstration Tuesday afternoon, with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in attendance.
The training happened at the Lamar School, an old school building on North Corinth Street near downtown Dallas.
Cornyn said he's proud of a new law, called the "Police Act," he wrote that allows federal money to be used by local police, fire and paramedic departments for joint training such as this.
Previously federal policing grants couldn't be used by fire and EMS departments to train for active-shooting scenarios.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said violence is on the rise, and the risk is great for police and first responders who rush into the gunfire. That's why more money and more training is always a good idea, he said.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown supports equipping more patrol officers with better equipment, especially better bullet-proof vests.
Each of the five Dallas police officers killed in the July 7 ambush shooting were wearing body armor, but it can only stop pistol rounds – not rifle fire, like what Micah Xavier Johnson was using.
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Brown said he is also glad to see bi-partisan political support for increased funding.
President Barack Obama signed the Police Act into law on July 22, just two weeks after the Dallas shooting.
The rounds fired in Tuesday's training session were made up of make-up and paint that can leave a bruise but don't do more damage than that.
