Planning for the unthinkable, U of C to simulate response to armed intruder

More than 100 police and emergency responders in full gear will lead an active shooter training exercise on the University of Calgary campus later this month.

The live scenario — which follows a mock tabletop exercise simulating a mass casualty incident at the university last November — is slated for Monday, June 26 and will involve the participation of between 100 to 150 police, fire crews, paramedics, 911 operators and the Calgary Emergency Management Agency. It’s scheduled to run from noon to 1:30 p.m.

University officials and police both declined to talk about the exercise in advance, but last year the school’s associate director of emergency management, Bob Maber, told Postmedia both scenarios are designed to simulate the terrifying potential of an armed intruder on campus.

“We want to educate people on what to do in the event of an emergency,” Maber said last September. “Any type of threat to the campus community is what we’re trying to prepare for.”

Details of the live training exercise are scant, but the university is warning students that some areas of the school will be closed for most of the day. The Olympic Oval and parts of the school’s Kinesiology area will be closed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and officials are advising students to avoid the area.

A bulletin on the U of C’s website warns students that the exercise may involve sounds of gunfire, emergency responders yelling and volunteers mimicking distress.

In a statement, the Calgary Police Service said the scenario will help officials prepare for the possibility of an actual incident in the future.

“The University of Calgary engaged the Calgary Police Service to support the institution’s assessment of its emergency preparedness plan,” it reads, adding the exercise “will provide an opportunity to increase familiarization, co-ordination and identify areas of improvement for response to an actual event.”

The university, also in a statement, said students and staff shouldn’t be alarmed by the event.

“Students, faculty and staff may see a number of emergency responders in uniform on campus, as well as a large number of emergency vehicles. There is no reason for alarm — this is part of the exercise,” the statement says.

University officials will be communicating with students, faculty and staff during the exercise through the UC Emergency app and the university’s Twitter account.