After two high-profile mass shootings in Colorado in the last 10 years, Boulder County is working to change how firefighters respond to the scene of large-scale dangerous situations.
In July, the Longmont department of public safety participated in a regional training exercise, called Operation Buffalo Shield at University of Colorado to prepare police officers and firefighters for a mass shooting situation.
Police Sgt. Doug Ross helped organize the training, and said the 1999 Columbine High School mass shooting that occurred in Jefferson County and the 2012 theater mass shooting in Aurora prompted the change in tactics.
"Normally in the past, the police would go in and then fire ... would wait because they're not armed, and they would wait until we could tell them it's safe," Ross said. "But that's really not in the best interest of people who are injured. So with this new method, the police go first to stop the threat and then as quickly as they can, fire and (emergency medical services) go in while police provide security."