W.Va. First Responders Train in Active Shooter, Radioactive Material Exercise

July 23—More than 200 people, including 70 volunteers, responded to a radioactive crime scene on Saturday—for a training exercise.

"I'd rather do 100 of these exercises than one real incident," WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts said.

The drill, which started before sunrise, was at the old Medical Center apartments on Van Voorhis Drive. It featured local, state and federal agencies. Officials said during the drill, they entered the building and encountered an active shooter situation. The drill also called for radioactive material to be found in the building.

Monongalia County Office of Emergency Management and MECCA 911 Deputy Director Harold Sperringer said that during the drill they noticed what was handled correctly, but also saw areas in which to improve.

In these types of incidents, Sperringer said, MECCA's role is to provide support.

One focal point was communication among the agencies involved in the drill.

"I think these events are important to help keep our community safe," Roberts said.

If the drill were an actual emergency situation, Roberts said there would be alerts that would go out through the agencies to inform the public about the situation. He said responders would use the information to try to slow the rumor mill.

The Monongalia County Health Department, MECCA 911 and WVU all have phone applications that provide alerts to people affected by a potential situation. All can be found through the agencies' websites.

Officials also praised the 70 community members that came out on Saturday morning to volunteer as victims and others during the drill. Roberts said the agencies could not have done the drill without the help.

The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.