A local sheriff says the best way to fight deadly force is with deadly force in the wake of the Pittsburgh massacre.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is already training parishioners on how to take matters into their own hands should it come to that.

Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois says there's only one way to stop deadly attacks like the synagogue shooting last weekend in Pittsburgh.

“When you're facing down the barrel of a gun and there's shooting going on, there's only one way to respond. You have to eliminate the threat,” he says.

That's why he wants trained police officers, retired officers and civilians who feel comfortable to be armed and ready to respond with force at houses of worship.

“If you have the ability to take a life. That's something we have to look at. It's not for everyone,” he says.

For the last two years, his office has offered Operation Archangel. The program trains public parishioners on how to use force during an active shooter situation in a house of worship.

The program was created by Sgt. John Trazino.

Officers say Operation Archangel is the only program they know of in the county that offers training to parishioners for active shooter situations. And they say they've seen a big uptick in interest in the program since the Pittsburgh shooting. 

According to officers, Operation Archangel has trained hundreds of parishioners to date, meaning many are already armed at services throughout the Hudson Valley.

The sheriff's office says it offers Operation Archangel once or twice a year, but plans to hold a course next month due to the recent overwhelming interest in the program.