North Texas First Responders Offer Active Shooter Response Training

The Plano Police Department and Plano Fire-Rescue offered free active shooter response training Tuesday.

"Our community, like many communities, was probably a little bit more on edge, a little bit more fearful and interested in having this training again," said Plano Police Lieutenant Mica Lunt.

Lunt says the department has offered the free training to the public since 2017 and decided to offer another session this week after the recent mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton.

"They are happening enough that it's our responsibility to provide this training," Lunt said. "In order to increase the survival at active attack incidents, people need to know how to engage in run, hide, fight strategies and they also need to know how to engage in bleeding control."

Plano Fire-Rescue taught a bleeding control segment during the training.

"Unfortunately, the world we live in today, it has become necessary," Plano Police Sgt. Courtney Pero said. "In this case, [this] could make the difference between life and death in a situation should something like that happen."

The seminar was meant to help prepare everyday people in everyday situations.

"No matter what the situation is, we prepare in advance for a situation we hope will never occur," Pero said. "If we have some training we have something we can think about."

"The idea is to give people the tools they need to survive something like this or certainly increase their ability to survive [and] lesson their target availability should they be in a situation like this," Pero said.

The training was free and held from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Plano Event Center at 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway.

Some people brought their children to listen in.

"One of my greatest fears is having an active shooter with one of my children. You know, transitional spaces, Walmarts, gas stations, laundromats, that's scary enough. But in a school situation where my children are involved, that's my greatest fear," Richard Robson of Plano said.

Lt. Lunt recommends any children who attend are at least 12 years old.

ONLINE: You can watch a recording of a past seminar HERE.

Other North Texas Departments including Frisco, Allen, Wylie Police Departments and the Collin County Sheriff's Office say they're steadily receiving requests from churches, businesses and civic groups for similar training. The departments say they will offer presentations to groups that ask for help.

NBC 5's Diana Zoga and Candace Sweat contributed to this report.