Goshen, N.Y. – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the New York State Police, Orange County Department of Emergency Management, Orange-Ulster BOCES Department of Health and Safety, Police Chiefs Association of Orange County, local law enforcement and other first responders, held an active shooter drill for school administrators on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
“We hope that none of the attendees will ever need to utilize this training, but in today's world, we need to know what to do in the event of an active shooter situation," Neuhaus said. “Security and emergency preparedness is something that school leaders and staff must take into consideration during their daily operations. I think the active shooter training was timely and informative. We received excellent feedback, and I appreciate the collaboration we received from multiple agencies.”
“The comprehensive pre-planning, training, and coordination of a collaborative emergency response is crucial to the overall outcome of events of this nature,” Assistant Orange County Undersheriff Anthony Weed added. “The opportunity to work with Orange Ulster BOCES and all of our first responder partners is greatly appreciated and necessary for implementing fidelity.”
Approximately 210 Police Officers and other first responders within Orange County participated in the training exercise. The drill focused on the emergency response to an active shooter incident on campus and involved a simulation of law enforcement response to an active shooter. It helped ensure a coordinated, timely, and effective response in the event of a significant incident. It also educated attendees on how to recognize signs of potential violence at schools, respond to an active shooting or other violent situation, and create an emergency action plan.
Administrators and Security staff from Orange County school districts received active shooter training at the County's Emergency Services Center in the morning by BOCES Health and Safety team members and then viewed the active shooter drill later in the day at Orange-Ulster BOCES.
“The New York State Police remains committed to collaborating with our State, County and Local law enforcement partners on providing the best service and protection for the residents of New York,” said Captain Peter Cirigliano II, Troop F, Zone 2 Commander. “We are proud to be part of an outstanding team here in Orange County, where all Emergency Responders understand the critical importance of training and responding to active shooter or other violent situations. The goal of this training was to help educate those in attendance with recognizing potential signs of violence and understanding the importance of creating an emergency action plan. Seeing the large number of School Districts that participated in this training only validated the nine months of extensive planning for this exercise.”
The Orange County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police encourage county residents to take advantage of the Active Shooter/Hostile Event program they continue to offer to the public at no cost. For more information or to schedule a public education seminar, please contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office at ocnysheriff@orangecountygov.com or the New York State Police at Anca.Watt@troopers.ny.gov.
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