Rapid response

• Reprints

Clad in bright orange and yellow vests, four police officers charged down the corridor, clustered tightly in a diamond formation, covering every angle with their large black AR-15 rifles.

As they approached a corner, the lead officer and the barrel of his rifle peered into the next hallway, and as he called out, “Clear!” the diamond surged forward.

But no gunman lurked behind a closed door in Parmer Hall at Dominican University.

Instead, the River Forest Police Department was conducting movement exercises as part of its annual rapid response training on Aug. 4.

For safety, there were ropes in the barrels of the officers’ rifles.

The department’s two-day training includes a variety of activities ranging from classroom instruction to role-playing drills that pit officers against one another. This year, for the first time, the officers wielded Airsoft guns that fire small pellets.

The rapid response drills were first developed by the Los Angeles Police Department and became a national practice after the Columbine shooting in 1999.

“No town is immune,” said Sgt. Michael Thornley. “We prepare for everything we can come up with, and we look at incidents that have happened around the country.”

The police officers must prepare to respond to shooting incidents because many unfold quickly, before a SWAT team can arrive.

By practicing rapid response, River Forest officers learn tactics shared by nearby departments.

“Communication between teams is paramount,” said Sgt. James O’Shea. “River Forest, Forest Park and Oak Park police all practice this. Even though officers are not in the same agency, they can work together, say if there was a shooter at Oak Park and River Forest High School.”

At Dominican, the officers drilled in hallways, stairways and classrooms. They learned to cluster together in diamonds because the shape allows for an ideal combination of speedy movement and security. They practiced drawing their guns hundreds of times and entered dozens of rooms so that, Thornley said, the tactics became muscle memory.

When the officers climb stairs, two cover for a team of four, one heading forward and one walking backwards while aiming up at the stairs above. When they search a room, four officers line up along the wall besides the door, the first two enter the doorway facing forwards to clear the room and the last two back into the door, covering the outside area.

As the officers repeated these drills many times, even with Dominican’s air conditioning system on high, their faces became covered in sweat.

Dominican University Director of Public Information Jessica Mackinnon prepared Dominican staff and neighbors for the police training so that none were alarmed by the sight of large rifles. She said that she was pleased the police training was held at Dominican.

“We have a great relationship with the River Forest Police Department,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to practice what we would do in an emergency.”