Boise police officers and firefighters spent Wednesday inside West Junior High School preparing for one of the most challenging emergencies they could face: a hostile event at a school.The joint exercise brought together the Boi se Police Department, Boise Fire Department and Boise School District for Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training and Active Shooter Hostile Event Response, known as ALERRT/ASHER.The training placed first responders in a series of realistic scenarios designed to strengthen communication, coordination and decision-making during a critical incident."School safety is our highest priority," Boise Police Sgt. Steven Martinez said. "The students, the staff, they're our number one priority. We need to make sure we're on point ... and it's excellent that we get to work with the fire department as well in these high chaotic events." WATCH: Boise police, firefighters train for school emergency response How Boise police and firefighters prepare for a school crisisThe exercise extended beyond stopping a threat.One key component focused on a rescue task force response, where officers escorted firefighters and paramedics into a "warm zone" an area where the immediate threat has been stopped but has not yet been fully secured so they could begin treating injured victims as quickly as possible.Martinez said repeated training is essential because every response offers lessons that can improve future performance."Seconds matter," Martinez said. "If we don't stop the threat within seconds, more people's lives are in danger... We're here to learn. We're trying to get better every single time so that we can make the community a safer place."Following each scenario, police and fire personnel participated in debriefings to evaluate what worked, identify areas for improvement and refine their response plans.Boise Fire Battalion Chief Greg Ramey said the collaborative training is critical because no agency responds to these incidents alone."An event like this is going to be really chaotic, and it's essential that we work with our police counterparts," Ramey said. "They're big defining events for a community, and we need to be able to respond to them effectively together." ...read more read less