December 18, 2013
Simulation brought together ten agencies at ACADEMI’s North Carolina facility
McLean, VA - ACADEMI, an elite global provider of security solutions for business and government, held its first Active Shooter Response Table Top Exercise for law enforcement agencies.
Twenty members from ten regional agencies gathered at ACADEMI’s premiere training facility in Moyock, North Carolina to participate in both a real-time simulation and an open discussion of Active Shooter response policies, procedures and best practices.
Starting with an initial 911 call, law enforcement officers at the federal, state and local level worked together to examine how they would respond at each stage of a crisis situation. Combining the expertise of ACADEMI’s elite instructors with a detailed model of a medium-sized town, the Table Top Exercise walked participants through a full, timed simulation. “The way (ACADEMI) ran it brought home the timing and added a realistic feel to the experience,” said Edwin Forbes, an officer from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
"The initial response is only about a third of the process,” stated ACADEMI instructor Mark Mills, a former Las Vegas Police SWAT team leader. He and fellow ACADEMI instructor Russ Renner, a former Virginia Beach Police SWAT officer, walked the team through the full scope of an Active Shooter response, taking into account not only stopping the violence but also managing what comes afterward: medical evacuations, reuniting victims with their families, coordinating with state and federal authorities and providing mental health and clergy resources to the community.
One of ACADEMI’s goals for the exercise was to facilitate discussion and future cooperation between overlapping communities in the region. The group spent time discussing best practices and lessons learned from their respective experiences and building relationships with other officers. “This demonstration showed not only what is at stake but also how much preparation we need,” said Russell Michael, a Sergeant with Old Dominion University’s Police Department. “We really need to focus on our communication capacity in a crisis - across all agencies.”
ACADEMI is dedicated to supporting the mission of law enforcement agencies as they build strategies and train their officers to react and respond to Active Shooter incidents. “ACADEMI is proud to assist the efforts of local law enforcement professionals,” said Pete Van Hooser, Vice President of ACADEMI Training Services. “We look forward to continuing this open exchange of ideas on how to respond to an ever-increasing threat to our society.” ACADEMI also assists organizations in building employee and corporate security personnel readiness through its comprehensive Active Shooter Response training program.
About ACADEMI:
ACADEMI provides protective services to government and commercial clients worldwide and conducts customized, comprehensive training programs at its 7,000-acre training facility in Moyock, North Carolina. It also operates facilities in Salem, Connecticut and San Diego, California as well as in Kabul, Afghanistan.
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Callie Wang
ACADEMI
703-442-1938