LSU NCBRT/ACE Pilots New, Customized Active Threat Integrated Response Course in Massachusetts

During a large-scale threat, law enforcement from multiple state and local agencies must coordinate with fire and EMS to secure the scene, neutralize the threat, and save lives. For years, LSU NCBRT/ACE has been preparing responders to work together during threats by delivering its Active Threat Integrated Response Course (ATIRC).

Last month, LSU NCBRT/ACE piloted a new, compacted version of the traditional three-day course to better serve even more communities. ATIRC-Customized is a one-day delivery that teaches the concepts and principles of the Rescue Task Force, including staging, formations, safety cordons, contact teams, ambulance exchange points, room management. The day culminates in an instructor and participant walk-through of each principle of the RTF.

Quincy, Massachusetts, located just 10 miles south of Boston, was one of the first communities to utilize this new training. From September 9 – 20th, LSU NCBRT/ACE trained 360 police and fire throughout the area.

“We needed to have a training that integrated our fire and police, and this is the first time in the history of our departments that we’ve done that coordinated class,” said Lt. Jamie Greene, who served as the point of contact between the LSU NCBRT/ACE team and course participants. “We weren’t working together when training to stop the killing and stop the dying, and that’s what LSU NCBRT was able to bring to us.”

Quincy received a $261 thousand Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) grant to train its responders. Because of that grant, LSU NCBRT/ACE was able to meet the city’s training needs.

“I’m excited to learn the city’s plan for dealing with these situations,” one participant said after the training. “I think this is something that we need to train for to get proficient and be ready for these types of situations.”

Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium is less than 20 miles from Quincy. This stadium is just one of the many locations that will be hosting multiple matches and thousands of global fans during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. With the World Cup just around the corner, it is vital that responders practice working together, standardize training, and form important relationships that will be necessary should they need to respond, mitigate, and recover from a potential active shooter threat.

“[ATIRC-C] brings the concepts to everyone, and then we can go back and bring it to others in our departments and implement it going forward,” Greene said. “I’d recommend this class to any mid-to-large-scale department that wants to start planning for this.”

 “The simple breakdown and explanations were helpful,” another participant said. “Keeping it streamlined is important, and I liked the emphasis on police and fire working together.”

Watch the video highlighting LSU NCBRT/ACE’s ATIRC-C training from the City of Quincy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FQJNeWrf1s

About LSU NCBRT/ACE:

LSU NCBRT/ACE is a nationally recognized center for emergency preparedness and response training located at Louisiana State University’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We provide mobile training to both the national and international emergency response community. LSU NCBRT/ACE has expertise in research, development and delivery of training in the areas of specialized law enforcement operations; biological incident response; food and agriculture safety and security; school safety; and instructional design and technique. For more information on LSU NCBRT/ACE’s courses and resources, please visit ncbrt.lsu.edu.