It's home on the range for Amesbury police officers

Jan. 19—AMESBURY — Shooting at paper targets can only go so far when it comes to giving local police officers a chance to improve their firearms training.

What is missing is the human element, the ability to think on your feet, and process complex information at a moment's notice when it comes to responding to shoot or don't shoot scenarios.

But thanks to the arrival of a mobile firing range, officers have been able to practice their reaction times and reinforce their training.

The firing range, all in the back of a tractor-trailer container, is equipped with a video screen, strobe lights, sirens and other features that mimic actual police calls.

For more than 13 years. Jerry Tilboo of Blue Line Corp. in Sudbury has brought the trailer to countless police stations across New England.

Last week's visit to Amesbury was the second for Tilboo, who first brought his trailer to the city last year.

The visit was planned months in advance and funded through the Police Department's approved training budget.

In addition to the department's front-line officers, special and reserve officers also took a turn at the range. Chief Craig Bailey took his turn with Lt. Kevin Donovan.

"It's awesome, one step above a great video game," Bailey said, when asked how it went.

Guided by one of the department's three firearms instructors, the officers spent an hour reacting to small movies showing school shootings, disturbed individuals and domestic calls that mostly involved a weapon of some sort.

The officers barked commands at actors on the screen and when deemed appropriate, they fired actual rounds at the screen from their Glock sidearms.

Other exercises included shooting at paper targets with sirens blaring and lights mimicking what is on top of a police cruiser flashing around the range. Other scenarios took place in near darkness with only an officer's small flashlight illuminating the range.

Firearms instructor Shawn O'Brien said because two-thirds of the station's shifts take place at night, it made sense to include nighttime-like training.

"It's pretty good," O'Brien said of that kind of training.

Bailey said practicing at a static firing range, which officers do twice yearly, helps keep them sharp and familiar with their weapons.

But paper targets do not talk back and do not realistically mimic conditions in the field. They also do not give officers a chance to practice what he called deescalating skills, which are used to keep situations from exploding into violence.

"It's incredibly valuable," Bailey said. "Everything is feedback."

Bailey he said tried to make sure officers working the same shift shot together, knowing that if an active shooter call, for example, came over the radio, they would have more of an advantage.

On Thursday, the last day of training, Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove was at the firing range wearing noise-canceling headphones.

Because of the closed-off space, shell casings were found all around the facility.

The trailer's return to Amesbury was spearheaded by firearms instructor Sgt. Charles Sciacca, who showed the facility to Gove while Officer Liam Leary, another training instructor, was working with two officers.

"I think it's incredible," Gove said. "I'm absolutely impressed."

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.