Emergency Response Training Team and Scheduling
C.A.S.T. Team
From left to right, Bryan Carlisle, Shelby Taylor, and Chris Marrs
Mission: To provide the best civilian active shooter response training in the nation
Vision: Develop training that promotes confidence and helps protect our community
Values: Integrity, Honesty, and Selfless Service
Team Mindset: Our objective is to offer reassurance to every parent through dedication of this team. By entrusting your child to our campus, you can have confidence in a committed team actively engaged in community training, diligently working to reduce the chances of tragic events unfolding within our home.
The Blinn College District Police Department - Civilian Active Shooter Training (CAST) Team is a team of professional instructors who have dedicated themselves to becoming experts in campus safety and are honored to have received the school safety spotlight award. This award serves as a beacon of inspiration, highlighting the power of collaborative action and the potential for positive transformation when individuals unite with a shared vision. To read more about this achievement and the program, please visit: SS Spotlight Program - 2021-2022 Recipients | Texas School Safety Center.
"To say that I am incredibly proud of the passion and quality that this core group of Blinn College District Police Department instructors has exhibited would be a tremendous understatement. These are not ‘sit-and-get’ classes, but ‘up-out-of-your-seat’ practical seminars that have provided invaluable benefit to the safety and security of all of our campuses.” - John R. Chancellor, Chief of Police and Emergency Management Coordinator
The Blinn College District offers a catalog of courses at no cost to our community that will help build critical skills that civilians need to function effectively if ever involved in an active shooter event. These instructor-led courses are taught district-wide by certified Texas Commission On Law Enforcement instructors.
Courses:
Combat Application Tourniquet Training:
Considering that hemorrhage is the primary cause of death in active shooter scenarios, addressing this issue becomes paramount. Our objective is to empower civilians with the knowledge of effectively utilizing Combat Application Tourniquets (CATs), transforming them into force multipliers capable of making a decisive impact in saving lives, whether it be their own or those of others.
CATs and other resources are provided free of charge to Blinn employees who volunteer as members of the Blinn College District CIRT team.
Dynamic Active Shooter Response Training:
The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University sets the benchmark for active shooter response training. Our CAST Team aims to utilize the training imparted by ALERRT to foster a community mindset that enhances confidence through preparedness.
Within this training framework, team members not only instruct participants on the principles of Avoid, Deny, and Defend from ALERRT, but also guide them through physical movements and the strategic barricading of classrooms. The training delves into understanding the physiological responses to high-stress situations, techniques to mitigate stress effects, the art of effective communication, and emphasizes the significance of teamwork.
Leadership Primer Training:
This training session aims to refresh your knowledge of the General Leadership Principles. We will cover Dynamic Leadership, which will illustrate what effective leadership entails in action, and what happens when leadership fails. Additionally, we'll discuss Leading in Critical Incidents, which requires you to utilize your leadership skills such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and teamwork in challenging situations or environments. Moreover, we want to emphasize the Emotional Tie-In, which is to remind you about the significance of your job and how much we appreciate your commitment to volunteering for various response groups. We hope to encourage you to take greater responsibility and show more dedication to the cause, as well as motivate you to inspire your fellow faculty and staff members to participate more actively.
Situational Awareness Training:
In this training, we incorporate best practices that enhance our situational awareness and encourage a more proactive stance in preventing active shooter incidents. Recognizing the diverse spectrum of situations encompassed by situational awareness, our training remains adaptable and dynamic. Subcategories will determine the type of training that will be provided, such as reporting, behavioral intervention, and de-escalation.
Team Training:
Regardless of how much planning goes into responding to an active shooter event, there is always a chance that things will not go according to plan. If this moment comes, our odds of success rely on how well we can collaborate and problem-solve. In this training, instructors utilize their experience to help participants work together when an unexpected problem presents itself.
