A squad of Everett Police run toward a mall entrance
Everett Police Sergeants Dorn and Reeves discuss plans.
Police lead medics into an area where there is still an active shooter.
The drills will test communications between police and fire departments under changing conditions.
Everett Fire crews now have bulletproof vests as part of their available protective gear.
Happening today, tomorrow and several more times this year. first responders will participate in active shooter drills at Everett Mall.
In December, the City of Everett signed an agreement to hold a series of monthly scenarios to train officers for an active shooter situation at the Everett Mall.
An active shooter is defined by the US Department of Homeland Security as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area where there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims.
Everett Police say these situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly which means a a quick and dynamic response is needed from both law enforcement and firefighters.
While this training has been planned for months, real world events including the recent shooting in Burlington reinforce that scenario-based exercises are necessary law enforcement training tools. “Law enforcement cannot be one-dimensional,” says Sergeant Maryjane Hacker with Everett Police. “We must train for situations where rapid deployment, teamwork and quick thinking will save lives. Our training is designed to address these key points.”
With support of the Everett Mall management, scenarios will occur throughout this year during normal business hours in areas not accessible to the public and will consist of police and fire personnel, actors and equipment designed to give officers realistic and practical experience in responding and managing a shopping mall mass shooting incident.
The first scenarios took place this morning and while most of the action is invisible to the public you may see Everett Police and Fire vehicles coming and going around the mall throughout the day. Because it is actual active shooter practice officers and firefighters are in protective helmets and face masks. Something they may not have the luxury of time to obtain under real-world conditions.
Division Chief Donald Schwab of the Everett Fire Department told MyEverettNews.com today…”This allows us to come together in a hands-on way to go over coordination and communication between Police and Fire departments,” Schwab said. “This training is extremely important.”
The training is going on during mall hours but no businesses are affected and the training areas are clearly marked. Here are a few photos from today’s drills.
January 3, 2017
Everett