Provo, Orem and Vineyard law enforcement worked together to give active shooter training on Thursday, March 19.
All residents of those cities were invited to join the training held at the Orem City Emergency Operations Center.
Sergeant Cody Bullard of the Orem Police Department led the training and informed the audience about how to respond in different situations when encountering an active shooter.
The training was based on three principles: run, hide and fight. Bullard taught that, whenever possible, the first priority should be to run.
He stated that there was no need to “try to be the hero,” and emphasized that the priority should be getting home safely.
However, he recognized that running is not always a viable option. In such situations, Bullard encouraged the audience to hide and find “unexpected weapons.”
“Something is better than nothing,” Bullard said.
He then introduced the last resort: fight.
“If he finds you, then you’re not hiding; you have to fight him,” Bullard said.
Here, he explained how “unexpected weapons” could be used for self-defense.
A Provo resident couple, Doug and Diann Jenkins, attended this training.
“I found this training extremely educational,” Doug Jenkins said.
His wife, Diann Jenkins, nodded in agreement.
“I don’t know how much more I’m prepared, but I know that I’m at least more informed,” Diann Jenkins said.
Diann Jenkins also shared she is a school teacher, and as protocol, she was required to have a plan for active shooter encounters.
“As a school teacher, I think it’s my responsibility to be here to learn,” Diann Jenkins said.
Doug Jenkins said he noticed something throughout the training.
“I looked around, and I realized, where are all the young people?” Doug Jenkins said. “Us old people, it doesn’t matter to us that much anymore, but the young people should really be here.”
Renee Gray, a mother of two sons attending Utah Valley University, also attended the active trainer shooting.
“I have two boys at UVU, and I was shocked at what happened,” Gray said, referencing the Charlie Kirk shooting of September 2025.
Though police classified the Charlie Kirk shooting as an assassination rather than an active shooter, citizens of Provo, Orem and Vineyard stated they believed that their cities were becoming more dangerous.
“It did not used to be like this,” Gray said.
Doug Jenkins, who has lived in Provo for most of his life, also shared similar sentiments.
“I mean, shootings, this was something that we didn’t even think about,” said Doug Jenkins.
Gray shared the importance of attending trainings such as this one in times of growing unrest.
“I think it’s important to come and learn, and come multiple times because you forget without constant refreshers,” Gray said.
For those interested, Provo offers emergency preparedness training every third Thursday of the month. All are invited to attend the training. More information can be found here.