School Shooting Training Exercise

Shooting Emergency Police fire medical personnel conduct mock shooting drill in Robertsdale

by Pat Peterson

Published: Thu, January 03, 2008 - 4:21 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, January 03, 2008 - 11:16 pm CST

The scene at Central Baldwin Middle School is chaotic. Police, fire and medical personnel are responding to a school shooting. Two men have stormed the campus, shooting students and teachers. A hostage situation is developing....the middle school is put into lockdown.

This isn't a real-life emergency, it's actually a hands-on training exercise sponsored by the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency.

"Our number one goal is to save lives," says Leigh Anne Ryals, Emergency Management Director for Baldwin County. "We want to make sure all of our first-responders are on the same page and are communicating effectively so we can be ready during a real emergency."

Dozens of law enforcement agencies from across Baldwin County participated in the drill.

"This drill was difficult, time-consuming and expense," says Major Anthony Lowery with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office. "But in the end, it's about saving lives and you can't put a price on that."

"We believe we're prepared and ready for an emergency like this," says Dr. Faron Hollinger, Supt. for Baldwin County Schools. "We have safety plans and procedures in place and this drill gives us an active opportunity to see how those procedures work."

E-M-A officials say the school shooting drill was a success.

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