Gallegos also focused on the role of the individual first responder. "You have to draw that line in the sand and take care of business," he said.
McCarthy said that his greatest concern was the way that agency executives damage officer morale by expressing a lack of confidence in the capabilities of their personnel. "You cannot expect officers to be brave and do brave things if you haven't given them the equipment and training to do so," McCarthy told the attendees.
Expanding on the need for first responders to be well equipped, McCarthy said that if he was a police chief every patrol car in his agency would have a soft ballistic shield. He also agreed with the other panel members on the need for officers to have patrol rifles.
McCarthy argued that officers need to have 600 rounds of ammunition in magazines in the trunks of their cars. "That's a burdensome amount, but it’s what you will need if you get into a sustained gunfight with multiple suspects," he explained. "If you don’t have the rounds to protect yourself, you’re going to lose."
One of the most lively discussions during the event centered around fears of "blue on blue" friendly fire incidents. All of the panelists agreed that officers need to have a way to identify themselves to other responding officers should they have to take action against an active shooter while off duty or in plain clothes.
