'As safe as possible': Corpus Christi RTA holds active shooter trainings

If someone is caught up in a mass shooting, they have three options to try to survive — run, hide or fight.

On Thursday, a group of about 20 Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority employees reviewed those three options during an active shooter training led by Nueces County Constable Precinct 1 Lt. Felipe Martinez.

Later, two more groups of CCRTA employees gathered for the same training. The authority also held trainings for employees and tenants of its Staples Street building Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Tuesday training was led by the Corpus Christi Police Department.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, active shooters have been on the rise in recent years. There were 30 in 2019, 40 in 2020 and 61 in 2021.

The transportation authority has historically held an active shooter training for employees and tenants annually, though the trainings weren't held during the pandemic.

"I always believe in training, training, training," CCRTA Director of Safety and Security Mike Rendon said. "My passion is to make sure that our employees and customers for RTA are as safe as possible."

During the training, Martinez shared data about shootings with attendees and stressed the importance of thinking quickly and strategically during an emergency, noting that deciding whether to run, hide or fight depends on the situation.

There might not be a clear escape route, or there might be nowhere to hide. In addition to FBI active shooter training videos depicting the "Run. Hide. Fight." strategies, Martinez shared videos showing how citizens worked to stop real-life attackers.

Attendees listened attentively. After an FBI video showing actors reacting to an attack at a crowded restaurant, one attendee asked Martinez where was the safest place to sit in a similar setting.

Martinez emphasized the importance of being aware of one's surroundings and taking note of exits.

At one point, Martinez lifted a fan to show how everyday objects might be used as makeshift weapons if necessary.

The RTA security team added comments as well, noting particulars of how to barricade and secure the room the training was taking place in.

"What we were trying to do with this active shooter training is give you the basic information so you can have it in your mind," Rendon told attendees. "Once you have it in your mind, think about it every so often so that when it happens, you'll have an advantage."

In May, in unrelated attacks across the country, 21 were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde and 10 were killed at a supermarket in Buffalo. This month, a shooter killed five at a hospital in Tulsa.

"In the everyday life of an everyday citizen, you don't deal with this because you've got kids, family, work, and (training) isn't on top of your priorities," Martinez said. "But when an incident happens like Uvalde or Buffalo or Oklahoma, you think, 'We need training. We need to get on it because that happened.'"

But Martinez said that people shouldn't only be thinking about what to do after a prominent mass shooting or when they hear about attacks on the news.

"You should be preparing for this like fire drills," Martinez said. "Why are you going to wait until something happens to be informed?"

Resources for active shooter trainings are available at fbi.gov/survive.

Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com. You can support local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. 

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi RTA holds active shooter trainings