On January 13, 2026 Wilton CERT held a Hostile Event Situational Awareness Training Class at Comstock.  26 CERT Members attended.  Matt Maguire led the class.

The presentation provided an overview of the active violence threat  that Wilton CERT members might encounter, including a review of common attack methods (active shooter, vehicle ramming, etc.) with a particular focus on attacks targeting large community gatherings and events. Lessons learned from those tragedies will be used to highlight useful takeways for CERT members both in their CERT roles, and more generally as members of the community. 

A few key points from the training:

• The body can't go where the mind hasn't gone yet ... so think in advance what you might want to do.

• You have three options: Run, Hide, or Fight!  Whichever you select, do it as hard and as fast as you can!  It's your life ... there are no rules!

• The "C" in Cert (Community) is our strongest weapon to prevent an incident ... If you see something, say something!

• Speed is everything ... Stopping an attacker ... escaping from an attacker ... and Stopping the bleed of victims.

Matt Maguire is a veteran AEMT, firefighter, and federal law enforcement officer with worldwide experience planning, managing, and responding to large-scale events, including National Special Security Events (NSSE), with a particular focus on security, emergency medical and weapons of mass destruction planning and response.