PHOTO: Local law enforcement agencies participate in a training exercise on June 7 at Howell Middle School. The exercise consisted of a live simulation of an active shooter incident.
Victoria’s local government and school officials are better equipped to work together during a public safety emergency after they participated in a training exercise hosted by the Victoria Office of Emergency Management on June 7 at Howell Middle School and nearby staging areas.
Victoria ISD, Victoria ISD Communications, the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office, the Victoria Police Department, the Victoria Fire Department and the City of Victoria Communications and Public Affairs participated in the full-scale exercise.
The exercise consisted of a live simulation of an active shooter incident at a VISD campus. The simulation tested the agencies’ ability to work together to respond to every aspect of such an incident, including responding to and securing the scene, providing medical care to actors portraying injured persons, communicating with the public and reuniting students and staff with their families.
The exercise included about 40 VISD students and staff members who participated as actors throughout the simulated emergency.
“Our preparations for this exercise have helped our agencies to refine their crisis response strategies and identify areas for improvement,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Rick McBrayer. “That preparation paid off during the exercise as they were able to execute an effective response to the simulated emergency.”
The agencies will continue to review their performance during the exercise to further improve their emergency readiness.
For more information about emergency management services in Victoria, visit www.victoriatx.gov/oem.
View more photos from the exercise