Police and firefighters finish rigorous active shooter training in Corona

It looks, sounds and feels real but its just a drill. 

It was 10 a.m. on a Friday at Auburndale Intermediate School when a man with a gun came to the campus and began opening fire. He shoots several students in the three minutes it takes Corona police to arrive.

Officers run into the fray and find that the suspect shot himself. 

"Suspect is down inside the boys' locker room, inside the bathroom," one officer relays to his colleagues.

While the immediate threat is over, the chaos continues. 

Dozens of kids and teachers are hurt, some are already dead — many more continue to scream for help. With the threat neutralized, but with everyone still on edge, Corona fire comes rushing in, triaging the wounded — until the trainers yell "stop."

Every year since 2013, the Corona Police Department conducts this federally-recognized joint training session called Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training — ALERRT or short. All of the regional departments have adopted this training and fortunately have yet to implement it during a real-life situation. 

"It's a sickening feeling, to say the least, to see that and prepare myself or prepare ourselves mentally to respond to something like that," said Corporal Tobias Kouroubacalis. 

The course uses volunteers from the police and fire explorers' programs to pose as victims and survivors, many of whom say it's a  learning experience for them too. 

"Acting dead or whether it's just hiding in a really good spot makes a lot less of a target for an active shooter and to keep you safe," said Corona police explorer Matthew Marquez. 

After each scenario, the trainers debrief their teams so if and when they're faced with this frightening encounter they're ready.

"We hope it never happens but if it does happen," said Kouroubacalis. "We are prepared to deal with it, and deal with it quickly."