A five-day series of exercises designed to test Cayman’s response to incidents such as armed intruders in public buildings and schools is helping prepare the Islands for worst-case scenarios, police said.
Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton said the training, carried out with US experts, marked “a significant step forward” in Cayman’s ability to tackle threats.
He added, “The reality is that, while we have traditionally focused on hazards such as fires and earthquakes, we must also ensure that we are ready to respond effectively to the threat of an active intruder in facilities, schools included.”
Specialist training for Cayman’s first responders was delivered by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, known as ALERRT, based at Texas State University.
The modules covered school responses, police tactics and wider emergency services coordination in “active intruder situations”.
North Side’s Clifton Hunter High School was the venue for a major “lockdown” exercise on Monday, 29 June, which was carried out as an observational drill.
Identifying areas for improvement
Police said, “The purpose was to assess existing school protocols, identify areas for improvement and inform recommendations that may contribute to the development of a national framework for schools ahead of the upcoming academic year.”
They added, “The outcomes of this training week will inform future policy development and implementation, ensuring that the Cayman Islands continues to evolve its approach to public safety and emergency preparedness in schools.”
The training was held between Monday, 29 June, and Friday, 3 July.
Cayman officers also received tactical training designed to enhance operational response and situational awareness in active intruder incidents, based at Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay, the scene of a mass shooting in 2024, and at Clifton Hunter High after the school day had ended.
Representatives from the police, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Department of Educational Services and senior teachers were involved in a policy development workshop, run by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center.
Partnership agencies, including Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Fire Service, paramedics and the Department of Public Safety Communications, also took part.
The workshop focused on aligning school procedures with police and emergency response procedures to ensure a coordinated approach.
‘Deliberate’ choice of venues
Walton said the use of West Bay’s Ed Bush Stadium, where seven people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a football match, was “deliberate”.
He added that Clifton Hunter High was used because it allowed police to “directly engage with the school setting to strengthen prevention and response measures”.
He said, “Our goal is to ensure that all agencies, from schools, to law enforcement and emergency services, operate in a coordinated and effective manner to safeguard our communities, particularly our students.”
Mark Ray, the director of the education services department, said, “The safety of our students and staff comes first.
“Our engagement in this week’s activities helps us understand where our schools stand, identify what needs strengthening and be ready to respond if they ever need to.
“That peace of mind matters and we take our responsibility to provide it very seriously.”
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