📷 Hays officers undergo critical incident response training
Posted Apr 17, 2026 10:01 AM
Hays police officers positioned outside of training building that was stage as an apartment during a training session on critical incident response. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post
By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post
Hays police patrol officers shouted commands and took cover during training sessions on Thursday for critical incident responses.
Deputy Police Chief Tim Greenwood and other instructors led scenario-based exercises at the Hays Fire Department training grounds. Scenarios involved barricaded suspects, potential hostages and suicidal subjects.
Greenwood emphasized the need to contain and control situations, communicate clearly and document actions throughout a response.
Greenwood said the sessions address the “gray area” officers may face in critical situations that could require additional resources, such as a more equipped tactical team.
Three Hays police officers getting ready to move towards the scene of a critical incident during a training session. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostTwo Hays police officers in position with a firearm and a shield during a training session. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostFirearms that Hays police officers were carrying during a training session. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostHays police officers preparing to make entry into a barricaded room during a training session. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post
Instructors also emphasized the importance of a command post for organizing scenes, tracking officer positions and logging key developments.
Each scenario included role players acting as suspects, victims and civilians, adding stress and unpredictability for officers to overcome. Officers also practiced verbal de-escalation.
The simulated scenarios were part of a monthly patrol training exercise. Each test run was followed by a debrief in which instructors reviewed what went well, what went wrong and what could be improved to prepare officers better to protect the community.
No live ammunition was used during the training.
A role-playing civilian who was safely evacuated from a simulated critical response situation. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostA Hays officer with his firearm drawn at a window. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostHays police officers preparing to make entry into a room during a training session. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostHays police officers taking two role-players into custody after entering a room where a domestic altercation had occurred for training purposes. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostThe training scene for a critical incident response with Hays police officers being watched by instructors. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays PostInstructors and Hays police officers, after a critical incident response training session, debrief on their performance. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post
