Blog: Prepared and Ready

Statement

It was an honor this week to deliver opening remarks at an active shooter emergency response drill at the Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center in Indianapolis, the third largest military facility in the United States. The exercise involved more than 30 local, state and federal agencies and was the first of its kind in the nation. It will become a model for other federal facilities in the country to respond to a potential active shooter or terrorist threat.

Obviously, I wish we didn't have to have these drills, but there have been seven active shooter incidents at military facilities in the past five years. We pray these moments never happen. We must be prepared if they do.

As a former law enforcement officer, it was a privilege to speak to those who routinely walk into dangerous situations to protect us from harm.

I have been a strong advocate in Congress that we must do a better job of monitoring the mental health of our men and women in uniform, whose jobs put them under incredible stress and who deserve our full support if they need assistance. We must also make sure that we are fully funding emergency preparedness efforts and the COPS grant program, which places more officers in communities across America.

I am proud that Indianapolis hosted such an important emergency response exercise, but I also hope that we can work together -- military and civilian personnel, elected officials, community leaders, law enforcement, faith leaders and others -- toward a goal where the need for drills like the one this week is significantly diminished, if not eliminated altogether.

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