Submitted by the Bedford VA Medical Center
Active Threat Training, Bedford VA 12/16
On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, the Bedford VA Police, in conjunction with the City of Bedford and City of Billerica Police Departments, will be conducting an Active Threat training exercise at the Bedford VA campus.
On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, the Bedford VA Police, in conjunction with the City of Bedford and City of Billerica Police Departments, will be conducting an Active Threat training exercise at the Bedford VA campus. Primarily, all activity will be limited to non-clinical areas in building one. The areas within the building are utilized by Human Resources and facility leadership. Please be advised that you will likely observe a significant police presence in the area such as marked patrol vehicles and/or officers in uniform entering or exiting the building.
Over the past several years, the Bedford VA police have conducted extensive training through live fire, simmunitions and simulator based environments on how to properly respond to an “Active Threat/Shooter” type incident and are well prepared to respond appropriately. However, we strive for continuous improvement and seek every opportunity to increase our knowledge and abilities. It must be understood that even though the VA police will likely be the first responding officers to a real Active Threat incident occurring at our campus, it is just as likely that the local law enforcement community will respond as well. As such, it is essential that joint training be conducted periodically to ensure a unified and efficient response.
Through scenario-based training and interactive drills, the officers in this joint venture will act as the first responding officers to an Active Threat incident. During the exercise, the officers will be equipped with police training weapons (red or blue guns) and will not be carrying or utilizing actual firearms or live ammo. In addition, appropriate signage and notifications will be in place to ensure all employees know this is a training exercise. Members of the Emergency Management team will be on site to ensure safety for all participants. Those officers participating in the event to include all role players may be shouting out commands and utilizing blank firearms, simulating a live action active threat scenario. The purpose of this training effort is for the officers to identify and neutralize the threat with an ultimate goal of saving lives.
The Bedford VA Police are actively involved in discussions with our local law enforcement partners located around the Bedford Campus and will continue to provide these sorts of training activities as we move forward to ensure competency and effectiveness should the need arise.
Please direct any questions or concerns to the Bedford VA Police Training Sergeant, Sgt. Jason Carmody via email at [email protected] or by phone at (781) 687.2022.
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