ALBANY, N.Y. -- Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, in response to the school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead Wednesday, says it's important to have a plan and undergo active shooter drills.

Apple says his office has reached out to local schools. The department is offering to recap security assessments and what to do in case of an emergency.

In 2016, the department did a full training exercise at Voorheesville in which students participated. Troopers also conduct a number of training exercises each week.

"This has become the norm," Apple said. "I never thought I'd say that about active shooter situations, but this is. Municipalities, specifically school districts or any other mass gathering, need to have a plan in place, [and] need to know what equipment's in your locality."

Apple also says more needs to be done to address issues such as mental health and cyber bullying.