(Geronimo) – There’s no need to panic today when you see an influx of emergency lights and sirens over in the Navarro ISD Intermediate Campus. That’s because the Guadalupe County Emergency Management Department is taking advantage of kids being on Spring Break and utilizing the campus for a multi-agency Active Threat training site. The training will be held today from 8 a.m. to 2p.m.
Patrick Pinder, the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator, says the school will only be accessible to registered agencies and volunteers participating in the full-scale exercise. He says the primary goal of this initiative is to bolster coordination and preparedness amongst emergency responders and community stakeholders, thereby fortifying their collective response to real-life emergencies.
Multiple first-responding agencies in the Guadalupe County Integrated Response team will be participating in this full-scale exercise. Pinder says this collaborative team is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of the community.
County officials say the Guadalupe County Integrated Response agencies collaborate, coordinate, and regularly train to prepare for active threat incidents throughout Guadalupe County. The aim is to mitigate the impact of such incidents and recover from them, safeguarding lives.
They add that volunteers are integral to the success of training exercises, taking on diverse roles to enhance realism. This includes stepping into the shoes of students and staff, immersing themselves in scenarios to facilitate lifelike training experiences. They add that with moulage kits, their participation ensures that emergency responders are better prepared for real-world situations.
Again, the public is reminded that the emergency scene at the Navarro ISD is only a mock training. That training, again, is only scheduled for today.