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Northern Arizona University hosted a large-scale active shooter training exercise Friday morning, weeks before college students return to campuses across the state
Police cars filled the streets on NAU’s campus as officers rushed into an old dormitory, with ambulances staged nearby. The drill simulated a response to a mock mass shooting and was the first exercise of its scale held at the university in several years
The drill involved EMS, local and state first responders, and city and county officials. Collin Seay, deputy chief of patrol for the Flagstaff Police Department, said the exercise covered the full scope of an incident response
“It’s been several years since we’ve done the entire experience from the incident happening to the actual rescuing of individuals involved,” Seay said
Seay said the training reflects a coordinated commitment to public safety across multiple agencies
“I think it’s very important for the community to know that the city of Flagstaff, the community around us, the university and our surrounding sheriffs office, your public safety officials are prepared for an incident like this,” he said
The fall semester last year began with a swatting call that led to an evacuation of NAU’s library, part of a larger nationwide hoax
NAU Chief of Police Missy Freshour said dispatchers train specifically for calls like that one
“When our dispatcher took that call that day we still have to do our diligence and make sure everything is safe, but there were some identifiers she learned from training that allowed us to respond in a way that was safe for everyone,” Freshour said
Freshour said multiagency drills are crucial to helping Flagstaff and the campus community feel and stay safe
“We’re here for their safety. We want them to rely on us and know what to do if something were to happen,” she said
Freshour said students who find themselves in an active shooting situation should call 911, find a safe place to hide and can also stay informed through the NAU Safe app
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