Dozens of police and fire vehicles and personnel will be swarming the Grays Harbor College campus Saturday morning in an active shooter drill, involving local agencies and others in adjoining counties.
Residents will notice a lot of emergency vehicles in the area and hear sirens throughout the morning, but there is no reason for alarm or concern. Citizens are asked to stay clear of the event as the drill area will be kept secure for the safety of all the participants, said Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.
U.S. Homeland Security Region 3, which encompasses Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pacific, Mason and Lewis counties, is hosting and providing financial and organizational support.
There will be staging for the participating law enforcement and fire and emergency medical service agencies in the parking lots at the Shoppes at Riverside in the 1000 block of South Boone Street in Aberdeen, preparing a coordinated response on the north end of the campus.
The purpose of the drill is to practice the interface between the law enforcement response to an active shooter with advanced fire and EMS protocols designed to quickly locate and extract victims. The intent is for regional law enforcement and other agencies to practice organizing their response to an active shooter incident.
This drill is designed to test Incident Command concepts, communication challenges, efficient and effective use of available local resources and to help train first-responders. This exercise will also include Grays Harbor Community Hospital so they can practice their mass casualty protocols; there is no anticipated impact to regular patient care or services, said Myers.
Volunteers will be used to simulate an active shooter scenario at the college campus. Citizens should expect numerous emergency vehicles, loud sounds and a pronounced police and fire personnel presence between the mall and the upper college campus area. Law enforcement and fire participants will not be moving at full speed, but citizens may see emergency vehicles responding with lights and sirens at times.
Local government, school, media and community officials are invited to attend the drill as observers so long as they are checked in with the drill Incident Management Team in advance. To make arrangements, or if you have questions, contact Myers at 360-532-0892 extension 105 or jmyers@cityofhoquiam.com, or Aberdeen Police Lt. Kevin Darst at 360-538-4421 or kdarst@aberdeenwa.gov.
