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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids, other Iowa law enforcement agencies stage active shooter drill
Sep. 24, 2014 6:00 pm, Updated: Sep. 24, 2014 6:21 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS - Though the Abbe Center closed last year, the facility still is proving itself useful today.
On Wednesday, the former residential care facility was a stand-in for a middle school as area law enforcement agencies staged an active shooter drive. Located at Highway 13 and County Home Road and several miles outside of Marion, the facility provides an ideal location for a drill involving scores of police officers, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, EMTs, a hundred volunteers and a planned explosion or two.
'We have a great training facility here at the Abbe Center,” said Cedar Rapids police Sgt. Doug Doyle, who organized Wednesday's drill.
Multiple organizations participated in the drill, including the Cedar Rapids and Marion police departments, Marion Fire, Linn County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, Linn County Emergency Management, Cedar Rapids Joint Communications Agency, Cedar Rapids Public Safety Chaplains and Cedar Rapids police volunteer corps. Approximately 100 volunteers - volunteer firefighters and nursing and law enforcement students - served as actors in the scenario.
Wednesday's exercise saw the law enforcement agencies respond to a report of an active shooter in the improvised middle school. However, the drill organizers threw a twist into the scenario: an explosive device inside the school.
'The situation today is to bring the worst of everything so we can prepare to do our best,” said Marion Fire District Chief Doug Wyman.
Doyle said you can't possibly prepare for every situation police might face, but scenarios like Wednesday's help first responders to be prepared for a variety of situations.
Evaluators were watching the scenario unfold. Doyle and Wyman said at the conclusion of the scenario, they would review how things went and see where they can improve for next time.
Doyle said the police department tries to stage multiagency training scenarios at least once a year. He's hopeful the Abbe Center will be available for future training.
The facility is slated for demolition in 2016.
Volunteers, playing the role of victims, run from a building after a flash-bang grenade was detonated during a mock disaster drill involving an active shooter scenario at the Abbe Center in Marion on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The exercise gave the participating agencies the opportunity to be evaluated on their unified response to a simulated active shooter incident. (Sy Bean/The Gazette)
Sgt. L. Faircloth of the Cedar Rapids Police Department speaks with the Cedar Rapids Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team during the mock disaster drill involving an active shooter scenario at the Abbe Center in Marion on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The exercise gave the participating agencies the opportunity to be evaluated on their unified response to a simulated active shooter incident. (Sy Bean/The Gazette)
The Cedar Rapids SWAT team was deployed on the scene during the mock disaster drill involving an active shooter scenario at the Abbe Center in Marion on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The exercise gave the participating agencies the opportunity to be evaluated on their unified response to a simulated active shooter incident. (Sy Bean/The Gazette)
Hills resident and student of Kaplan University, Besty Stumpf, plays the role of an injured victim during the mock disaster drill involving an active shooter scenario at the Abbe Center in Marion on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The exercise gave the participating agencies the opportunity to be evaluated on their unified response to a simulated active shooter incident. (Sy Bean/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids resident, Sandy Driscoll, plays the role of a victim who was shot in the chest during the mock disaster drill involving an active shooter scenario at the Abbe Center in Marion on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The exercise gave the participating agencies the opportunity to be evaluated on their unified response to a simulated active shooter incident. (Sy Bean/The Gazette)
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