Poughkeepsie … More than 110 participants, representing 24 agencies, took part in a comprehensive, full-scale Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER) training exercise, coordinated by Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, today at Arlington High School in the Town of LaGrange. The training exercise was part of a multi-faceted training series to enhance preparedness and ensure integrated response capabilities from local emergency responders, school staff and community members.
County Executive Sue Serino said, “In the face of uncertainty, preparation can be our greatest ally. Today’s active shooter training brought together the multitude of agencies who would respond to such a situation if it should ever occur, and gave them the opportunity to work together, assess resources and expose any gaps that would need to be corrected. We are grateful to all who were involved, as it was a massive undertaking that ultimately helps to ensure a swift, effective and compassionate response to save lives. Dutchess County will continue to bring together our first responder community to ensure our readiness is always sharp and we are doing everything possible to keep our residents safe.”
Today’s training, which was the first operational exercise conducted at this scale in Dutchess County, simulated a realistic emergency scenario, allowing participants to practice and refine their response strategies in a controlled environment. The exercise included law enforcement officers, fire department and EMS personnel, school administrators, public information officers, as well as volunteers acting as students and staff.
Participants engaged a simulated active shooter situation within the school premises. The exercise tested the coordination and communication between different responding agencies and the implementation of emergency protocols – in particular, the ability and timeliness of initial requests for resources; response times; how quickly and safely responders can move victims; and how to manage public information. Event organizers were also very cognizant of the mental health element for first responders dealing with such a stressful situation, even hypothetically. Mental health professionals were on hand throughout the day.
Evaluators observed the event throughout the day to identify gaps. A debriefing session was held following the event where evaluators provided feedback identifying strengths and areas for improvement to ensure continuous enhancement of response strategies.
In addition to the Department of Emergency Response, agencies represented at today’s training included:
• Arlington Central School District;
• New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
• Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office;
• Dutchess County Executive’s Office;
• Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office
• Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health;
• VA Hudson Valley
• Town of LaGrange Supervisor’s Office;
• Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County;
• New York State Police;
• Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department;
• City of Poughkeepsie Police Department;
• East Fishkill Police Department;
• Hyde Park Police Department;
• City of Beacon Police Department;
• Arlington Fire District;
• City of Beacon Fire District;
• Beekman Fire District;
• Fairview Fire District
• LaGrange Fire District;
• Pleasant Valley Fire District;
• City of Poughkeepsie Fire District; and
• Union Vale Fire District
With Arlington Central School District (ACSD) students at the school this morning for summer activities, organizers limited today’s drill to one specific area of the school, and it did not interfere with student activities. ACSD had also alerted families and community members in advance of the training event.
ACSD Superintendent Dr. Phil Benante said, “The safety of our students and staff, as well as transparent and timely communication, are top priorities for our District. This exercise allowed us to practice these skills, assess our efforts, and further strengthen our emergency response. I would like to thank the Dutchess County Office of Emergency Response for coordinating today’s event and all of the emergency responders, county personnel, and Arlington staff who planned or participated in today’s exercise.”
The ASHER event was part of Dutchess County’s Domestic Terrorism and Targeted Violence Prevention Plan, as mandated by New York State, which requires counties to have mechanisms in place for training, recognition of threats, as well as assessment and prevention. This training exercise was the most recent in a series of ASHER training exercises coordinated by DER to maintain a high level of preparedness and ensure that all emergency response teams are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to protect the community. In April, DER hosted a four-day “Active Threat Integrated Response Course,” in partnership with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, followed by a tabletop exercise held in May with ACSD leadership, State and County officials and partner agencies to build their awareness of available resources in an emergency.
DER Commissioner Dana Smith said, “We are grateful to all those who participated today. Bringing all of these agencies together helps people understand the resources that are available and how to activate them quickly to reduce harm. It also allows agencies to identify critical needs and take the opportunity to get the right resources in place to be prepared if a hostile event happens. Joint event like today’s help us plan and improve our overall response methodology to ensure a cohesive response in an emergency.”
