The Binghamton Police Department's adjusting tactics and equipment to better respond to shootings and standoffs.

As Action News reporter Caitlin Nuclo tells us, the changes are the result of the department's review of the American Civic Association shootings.

From reviewing the time-line, to analyzing placement of the command post.

The Binghamton Police Department is still critiquing it's response to the American Civic Association Shootings.

"You can do scenario after scenario after scenario and the real thing is a little different," said Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski.

"Game time is game time everything changes so we did pick up things where the real thing happened that we might like to do a little better," he said.

And changes have followed.

The department keeps 4 AR-15 rifles on hand.

Zikuski says they are more accurate, lightweight, and easier to handle than shotguns.

The Binghamton Police are now carrying the AR-15 rifles in the trunks of the patrol cars.

So they are always on the road, and more easily available.

"The supervisors have been trained on the AR-15, we're going to train some of the patrol officers. Those guns will be available to them on their shift so they have the proper training to use that weapon," said Zikuski.

Police are also aiming for better communication, especially with the Binghamton-Vestal Joint SWAT team.

"We're in the process of ordering the earpieces they wear so myself and the assistant chiefs will know exactly what they're saying and what's going on in the building," said Zikuski.

"They did not have a certain frequency to the SWAT team so I had to keep coming out and filling in the command post with what was going on. It's something that needs to be in place and sometimes it takes an extreme circumstance for you to realize," said Daniel Frair of the Binghamton-Vestal Joint SWAT team.

And the SWAT team has realized ways it can act even faster.

The team will now respond directly to the scene, and equipment will be brought to them.

"Anything that we do may only be a couple of minutes of improvement," said Frair.

Shaving off a few minutes that may help to save lives.

Chief Zikuski says these small changes have no bearing on the department's active shooter policy.

He stands by it, and the decisions made in during the ACA emergency when a gunman shot and killed 13 people and himself within minutes on April 3rd.