Police and emergency responders took part in an exercise they all hope they will never have to experience in real life.
Last Friday the North Bay Police’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), OPP Canine Unit & ERT Team, and North Bay Paramedic Services joined forces to conduct a emergency response exercise that simulated an active shooter threat at 22 Wing.
The exercise was designed to test the base’s ability to handle a potential threat to personnel, infrastructure and operations while also ensuring interoperability between law enforcement agencies and 22 Military Police Flight.
Lt.- Col. Mark Lachapelle, Acting 22 Wing Commander says collaboration between the NBPS, OPP and EMS and 22 Wing is essential during a lockdown event.
“Complex training scenarios ensure the safety of the defence community and the residents of the City of North Bay,” said Lt.- Col. Lachapelle.
“Through our robust lessons learned program here at 22 Wing, we are able to identify potential problems, refine our plans and procedures to verify that we can deal with the threat and ensure the safety of our people.”
Jim Stewart, Manager of Paramedic Services North Bay Regional Health Centre, believes the emergency response exercise strengthens the working relationships between agencies involved.
“Understanding the roles of all involved in a multi-agency emergency response allows for a real life event to be responded to at the highest level of capabilities,” said Stewart.
In recent years, real-world events in schools, bases, and other public areas throughout North America and right here at 22 Wing have been impacted by active shooter/aggressors.
As a result, the Canadian Armed Forces has trained and verified its lockdown, hold-and-secure procedures.
