The ammunition used was paint and baby powder balls.

The officers, rotated in groups of two, three or four, clearing hallways and checking rooms for potential threats — training for a variety of potential lethal scenarios law enforcement officers encounter on the job.

Officers were given several scenarios with very limited details such as shots fired in an abandoned building; people were yelling for help; or being informed it was an unknown disturbance. One of the scenarios trainees faced was an armed person hiding in a room who fired at them and then finding another person saying he was being robbed hiding in another room. Another scenario found them entering a hallway where there was a hostile person making threats toward them.

During the training one officer took a shot that would have been lethal if he wasn’t wearing a bullet proof vest and live ammunition was being used. A couple other officers took shots that could in a real-life situation have left them seriously injured.

Capt. Michael Boyd and Officer Danny Wallace find locate a role playing-“shooter” during a training exercise. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

One of the main purposes of the training exercises –with officers spending eight hours over a two-day period –was to sharpen their skills to increase their odds of getting out of a potentially deadly situation alive and without injuries.

Detective Jon Price and Captain Michael Boyd, both East Liverpool police officers agreed the training will make a difference in officer safety and improve the-way the department functions as a team if they should need to do a building clearing.

Price, a former member of SWAT, said he thought the training was good and it was something he has wanted to have for quite some time.

“We are wanting to do our own little tactical group for when we need to respond to things,” Price said.

During an FOP meeting, Price asked the officers if this is something they wanted and if they would take it seriously. He then worked with Office Justin Hays to get Detective Jordan Reynolds of the Lisbon Police Department and some of that department’s members attend training and get all the officers on level ground.

Officers Justin Watkins and J. Lane check Deputy Eric Buday who played the role of the victim for weapons after finding him in a room during building clearing training exercise. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Boyd said the training gave the officers a more realistic approach to building clearing because they had to worry about return fire and ever-changing scenarios

“We get a lot of calls where we have to clear houses and buildings so it will help us improve on that,” he said. “Plus, we got a lot of new guys that aren’t familiar with each other. So it gave us an opportunity for everyone to get together and work together to get a feel for each other and know what to expect and build as a team.”

East Liverpool has hired five new officers in the past year. The only way the department was authorized to do the training is if it was done with a certified trainer.

Reynolds, an agent on Columbiana County Drug Task Force and team leader for SWAT Team , is a high-threat instructor through 88 Tactical and an advanced high-threat instructor.

Helping Reynolds with the training were members from the Columbiana County Drug Task Force, The Columbiana County Special Response Team (CSRT), deputies from the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office and Lisbon and Perry township police officers.

Officers Troy Butler, J. Lane and Justin Watkins of the East Liverpool Police Department do a three-man sweep during a high threat building clearing training exercise at the Travelers Hotel. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Reynolds described the training as teaching the officers how to effectively search houses while giving minimal exposure to themselves while having high visibility for clearing a clearing a room.

He said it’s hard to shoot at something you can’t see –the training is to mitigate risk while maximizing efficiency.

Reynolds said the officers were “awesome” and they did a good job with the training which is a complicated system but one of the best systems to use.

He noted that the system, called the 88 Systems or high-threat, is based of the Israeli fighting system which they came up with and have been using for years.

“The system they (Israelis) utilized, 88 Tactical Americanized it and is now pushing it out to police officers and it is going to save a lot of lives,” Reynolds said, explaining the system was diverse and officers could do a lot with it.

Officer Justin Watkins clears a room during a building clearing training exercise held at the Travelers Hotel. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

“We run the high-threat system for our special response team our SWAT Team and the task force utilizes it,” Reynolds said. “The goal is to push this out to every police officer in this county so that if we have to respond to St. Clair, East Liverpool, Wellsville, Columbiana, New Waterford, we all utilize the same tactics. Then there is no guessing on what anybody is going to do, everyone knows one guy is doing these two guys are doing these three guys are doing this. ”

Reynolds said he will provide room-clearing training for any police department in the county at no cost.

“Training is so important, especially with budgetary restrictions,” Reynolds said. “Everyone trying to work within their budgets, work inside their means, means training kind of sometimes gets pushed to the back burner.”

Reynolds is fully invested in this system and said it was because his chief was “amazing” and allowed him to go to training to gain this skill. So, he thinks it’s only fair that he helps out where he can by training any police department in the county at no cost.

When Price asked if he thought the training left the officers better equipped to save themselves if it came to that he responded “most definitely.” Getting everybody on the same page is the most important thing so that we can move, shoot and communicate correctly. If you asked someone beforehand what to do, you would get a bunch of different scenarios. Now everybody can come together as one and they have a foundation.”

Detective Jordan Reynolds of the Lisbon Police Department, an agent on Columbiana County Drug Task Force, team leader for SWAT Team and trainer for high-threat building clearance, discusses with East Liverpool Police officers a training exercise they just completed. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Boyd said the officers are most definitely in a better position to save themselves after the training.

“We had basic clearing training in the academy and in yearly training; but this was a more tactical stance on how to protect each other and approach multiple doorways,” Boyd said. “We really haven’t had that as much as we should.”

Boyd recalled a time when officers had to clear the Travelers Hotel before they decided to hold the training there. He said it was himself a person from the city and an officer from Liverpool Township.

“It was just three of us going through the building and I thought this is impossible, I don’t know how we would ever do this if it was like an active shooter or something,” Boyd said. “But now having done this, if we had to come back and do it, we would know what to expect from each other.”

He also said now they realize through the training the need to adapt to what is in front of them. It has helped them learn what to look for; how to approach something; to take a step back and look and adjust; and what to look for that would leave them vulnerable.

Reynolds said there is no safe way to clear buildings with a limited amount of officers and there is always an inherent risk in what they do. An officer can still get shot. But the training which can also be used for active shooters in homes, schools, businesses and even vehicles can help minimize the risk.

Boyd feels strongly enough about the training that he would recommend it to departments who have not yet had it.

East Liverpool Police Officer Capt. Michael Boyd checks a room for occupants during a building clearing exercise. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Officer Danny Wallace, Capt. Michael Boyd and Officer Brice Allen finish running through a room clearing training exercise. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Deputy Luke Skidmore works with East Liverpool Capt. Michael Boyd on coverage while clearing a room. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Deputy Luke Skidmore walks East Liverpool Officer Bryce Allen and Capt. Micheal Boyd through procedures for room clearing. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)