As threats and incidents related to gun violence continue across our nation, so does training for active shooter situations.

Area first responders trained in Centre County Tuesday with a new technique.

The training allows EMTs to become more involved than ever before. They’re working now in conjunction with law enforcement to enter active shooter situations.

“They found in studies that after active shooter incidents, people have been dying because treatment did not reach them in time,” Kevin Duffy, EMT Crew Supervisor for Centre LifeLink EMS, said. “They’ve been bleeding out, not been able to breathe. It’s trained us to go in with police and hopefully save more lives.”

They’ll treat the wounded with combat medicine techniques – lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan.

It’s the first training of its kind in Pennsylvania. 

“The faster we can stop the threat and the quicker we can safely get the medical situations started and stabilized, the more people who are going to benefit from it, the less fatalities we’re going to have and survivability goes through the roof,” State College Police Lt. Chris Fishel said.

It’s a two day training course. Lt. Fishel hopes it will take off statewide.