Harrisonburg Fire Chief Ian Bennett said training together is important for them to get used to newer protocol. Bennett said firefighters now train to go into what they call the warm zone after police officers.
"We used to just wait until everything was stabilized, it was completely almost over," Chief Bennett said. "Then we'd go get the injured out. Well, that's not good for survivability."
Chief Bennett said he hopes they never have to respond to a real situation like this but the possibility is always in the back of their minds, especially in light of recent shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
"But always in the back of your mind, you're thinking of the reality of what could happen, especially in light of recent events," Chief Bennett said.