The Riley County Police Department and emergency personnel from the Manhattan Fire Department, Riley County EMS, KSU PD and other law enforcement partners will be participating in a joint active violence training exercise taking place over three consecutive days later this week, beginning Wednesday.
According to a press release from the department, this training will focus on streamlining inter-agency cooperation during crisis situations.
“This type of realistic training is designed to give our officers the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to resolve a terrible situation like this,” said Lt. Brad Jager, Training Coordinator at the RCPD. “We have to train ourselves so that if our officers find themselves in this position, it isn’t the first time they’ve experienced it. And beyond stopping the threat, we have to be able to quickly link up with fire and EMS to get help to victims as soon as possible. This training gives everyone, from officers to EMS to fire personnel, the opportunity to work together in a stressful environment.”
For the past several months, training staff with area emergency services have worked with USD 383 officials on securing a site for the training which will be closed to the public. The training will take place at the Manhattan High School West Campus Wednesday through Friday. Signs designating the area as a temporary training site will be placed near the training scenario to remind the surrounding community that there is no danger to the public.
“USD 383 is grateful that our community emergency response partners are willing to train in our school buildings. This training benefits everyone involved and will especially benefit the students of USD 383 if a real-life situation would ever occur,” Michele Jones, USD 383 Director of Communications and School Safety said. “This year we have some teachers and other building staff who will be watching and participating in the training. It is important for our staff to understand how RCPD, MFD, Riley County EMS and KSU PD coordinate and cooperate during an emergency response.”
The Riley County Police Department, as well as emergency personnel in Manhattan and Riley County, would like to extend their gratitude to USD 383 for their willingness to assist with the planning, preparation, and hosting of this training exercise. RCPD would also like to thank Riley County Emergency Management for their support and assistance.
