The recent wave of mass shootings at shopping malls and schools across the country has motivated Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso to be prepared to respond to a similar incident.
The college in partnership with Region first responders, will host a full-scale active threat response exercise at its Valparaiso campus, 3100 Ivy Tech Drive, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 beginning at 9 a.m. The campus will be closed during the exercise, which is expected to conclude at 4 p.m.
The exercise will involve a simulated active shooter incident and will involve response from police, fire, and emergency responders. More than 50 college employees and students and volunteers from various community organizations, will participate in the event.
The exercise will begin with a 911 call to police and end with the clearing of the building and eventual reunification of students and staff.
“For any community, it is imperative to be prepared to respond to these kinds of situations to the highest level of readiness,” said Aco Sikoski, chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Valparaiso campus. “There are many agencies available in our community, and it’s expected for all to respond and provide coordinated support. We hope that this exercise will confirm the strengths and reveal areas for improvement.”
According to Sgt. Joe Hall, commander of support services for the Valparaiso Police Department, the department has been increasing its training regarding active aggression incidents over the past few years.
“We have further partnered with the Valparaiso Fire Department and Porter County Sheriff’s Department to ensure a better understanding of our response and rescue operations in these incidents,” Hall said. “This exercise will be an excellent test of those skills and how they can be applied, specifically, as the responders will not know the details of the exercise.”
The Porter County Emergency Response Team will be among the local groups of first responders participating along with other volunteers from the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
