The Victoria Office of Emergency Management will host a training exercise June 7 in collaboration with 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 to test these local agencies’ ability to respond to a public safety emergency at a VISD campus.

The full-scale exercise will require emergency responders to work as a team, giving them the opportunity to strengthen their working relationships and become familiar with other agencies’ practices before an actual emergency.

“In the event of a major emergency requiring a response from multiple agencies, it is critical for agencies to be able to coordinate their efforts to ensure an effective and efficient response,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Rick McBrayer. “These agencies’ participation in the full-scale exercise shows their dedication to promoting public safety by meeting the highest standards of crisis preparation.”

Because parts of the full-scale exercise will be conducted on location, residents should not be alarmed if they see public safety personnel responding to the simulated emergency.

The exercise will simulate a public safety emergency from beginning to end and will include a live simulation of an active shooter incident. The participating agencies will simulate many aspects of a real-world emergency, including responding to and securing the scene, providing medical care to actors portraying injured persons, and communicating with the public.

A critical aspect of crisis response is the accountable reunification of students with parents/guardians; this training exercise will allow VISD to practice utilizing the Standard Reunification Method (SRM). Some VISD students and staff will participate in simulating the relocation and reunification effort.

For more information about the exercise, contact the Office of Emergency Management at 361-580-5770. For information about the Office of Emergency Management, visit www.vctx.org/page/oem.home.