ALERRT Center awarded $9.8 million Department of Justice grant

The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University has received a $9.8 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant from the United States Department of Justice under the Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) program.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced the grant on Oct. 13.

"ALERRT has saved many lives through its valuable training. I am pleased that these funds will ensure more of our first responders are prepared to respond to the inevitable next active shooter event," said Rep. Doggett.

"The COPS Office is proud to support all the first responders across the country who bravely risk their own safety to protect our communities," said COPS Office Acting Director Robert Chapman. "The ALERRT Center is a proven leader in providing multi-disciplinary active shooter training, and we’re pleased to announce this additional funding to continue their efforts."

The grant will support ALERRT's Integrated Response Training Program, which provides multi-disciplinary, scenario-based training to first responders across the country to improve rapid response to active shooter events.

"This money will allow us to train approximately 17,000 first responders from across the country to more effectively serve their communities," said Pete Blair, executive director of the ALERRT Center.

A significant portion of the funding will go toward training first responders in how to be instructors, so they may return to their communities across the U.S. and train others in the Integrated Response Training Program. ALERRT is also expanding and developing more e-learning capabilities.

This federal grant stems from the Protecting Our Lives through Initiating COPS Expansion (POLICE) Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. John Carter. Signed into law on July 22, 2016, the POLICE Act allows local law enforcement and other first responders to use COPS grants to train and better prepare for active shooter situations. The law encourages departments to use programs such as Integrated Response Training at ALERRT, which trains local law enforcement, fire and EMS officials to work together in response to an active shooter situation.

Since 2017, COPS Office funding through the PASS program has provided active shooter training for approximately 55,000 first responders across the nation. Additional information about the PASS program can be found at https://cops.usdoj.gov/pass-award.