Camp Smith hosts active shooter response and survival training with New York State Police
CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. - New York Army National Guard personnel and employees from state and federal agencies gathered at the Camp Smith Training Site on Oct. 21, 2026, for an active shooter response and survival seminar.
Located near Peekskill in Cortlandt Manor, the Camp Smith garrison hosted the event to strengthen survival strategies, situational awareness, and multi-agency coordination, according to Lt. Col. Chad Clark, the Camp Smith base operations manager.
The instruction centered on the "Run, Hide, Fight" protocol to guide quick decision-making under stress.
New York State Trooper Ray Renzo, the training instructor, emphasized that every choice during an active shooter incident is made in a split second.
Avoiding actions that might alert an assailant is critical, Renzo explained.
The first step, Renzo said, is to run and evacuate immediately if a safe path is clear.
People should not stop to grab purses or packs, he said.
If evacuation is not possible, Renzo said, people should hide by locking and barricading doors with heavy furniture or lockdown hardware, silencing electronic devices, turning off lights, and remaining low and quiet.
Fighting is reserved as a last resort when life is in imminent danger, requiring personnel to improvise weapons and use aggressive teamwork to incapacitate the attacker, Renzo said.
He also emphasized the need for people to take care not to appear threatening when police arrive to deal with the shooter.
Initial responding troopers enter a building focused entirely on stopping the threat, Renzo noted.
When law enforcement arrives, individuals must keep their hands raised and visible with fingers spread, avoid sudden movements, and follow commands as follow-on teams clear rooms, Renzo emphasized.
He urged attendees to practice emergency responses as if they were real situations and shared FBI data showing workplace grievances are the top catalyst for active shooter incidents.
Following the instruction Trooper Frank Rush, the commander of the New York State Police Cortlandt Manor station, and Trooper Tommy Raymond, a member of the State Police Special Response Operations team met with Camp Smith garrison leaders to review emergency procedures.
During the working group, Clark and other Camp Smith key leaders reviewed digital maps with Rush and Raymond to align Camp Smith’s Active Attacker Emergency Action Plan with State Police procedures.
Active shooter incidents have happened at military and civic installations before, so reiterating response protocols is vital, Rush said.
Insider threats also occur more often than people commonly expect, making coordination between base officials and local police critical, Raymond said.
"Implementation is ever expanding as we learn and refine our systems," Clark said. "Always improving relationships with law enforcement and others will keep everyone familiar enough to be more effective."
Integrating the Incident Command System is essential for establishing a unified command structure when transitioning authority from garrison personnel to arriving state troopers and various law enforcement officials, Clark explained.
“Coordinating emergency plans across a dynamic multi-agency installation is a top priority", he said.
The post supports full-time staff on weekdays as well as thousands of service members and law enforcement partners who utilize the barracks, ranges, and training areas on drill weekends.
To enhance interoperability during an emergency, the working group focused on utilizing the installation's digital Alert! system, which sends rapid warnings to computers and mobile phones to help responders gain situational awareness.
Leaders also discussed establishing clear incident command protocols, designated staging areas, and streamlined entry procedures so arriving law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical units can rapidly access facilities.
Additionally, the team reviewed post-incident accountability measures, including designated assembly areas, casualty collection points, and roll call procedures to expedite medical transport and account for all personnel across the main cantonment area, firing ranges, and field training sites.
After concluding the working group, the state troopers and garrison leaders conducted a physical walkthrough of the Camp Smith grounds to review facility layouts and emergency response points firsthand.
During the walkthrough, the team met with Connie Ruyter, the New York Army National Guard director of psychological health for the downstate region, to discuss safety and support protocols for behavioral health staff.
Takeaways from the seminar, working group, and walkthrough will help the garrison prepare for a full-scale multi-agency exercise planned for the spring, Clark said.
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