Roanoke, Va. - Hollins University will be the site of an Active Threat Field Training Exercise (FTX) on Thursday, December 17, between 9 and 11:30 a.m.
The FTX will begin on the university’s Front Quad (which will be closed to vehicular traffic while the exercise is under way) and encompass other sections of campus.
Facilitated by the Roanoke County Police Department, the FTX is designed to assess the local, regional, and university’s response to a major incident. “This FTX is an excellent opportunity for Hollins to test its emergency communication procedures, and for students, faculty, and staff to think about what they would do if this situation were real,” said Kerry Edmonds, vice president for finance and administration at Hollins.
A plausible active threat/shooter scenario will be the basis of the FTX, and it will involve operational personnel from area fire/emergency medical services, law enforcement, and tactical response teams, who will be on campus from approximately 8 a.m. – noon. A number of role players will also participate.
While there is no actual threat, the FTX is intended to be as realistic as possible in order to test the collective decision-making processes and response protocols that would be in effect during an active threat/shooter incident. Therefore, the campus community and public may see law enforcement personnel carrying weapons (loaded only with blanks) and hear sirens and simulated gunfire during the exercise.
The Police Department will also utilize the RoCo Alert Citizen Warning System to notify citizens about the exercise. To learn more about RoCo Alert, visit http://www.RoanokeCountyVA.gov/RoCoAlert.