Hometown Military News: May 13, 2016

Posted on May 13, 2016
Illinois National Guard
Staff Sgt. Lindsey Gibbs of Pleasant Plains, Illinois, a readiness noncommissioned officer with the 65th Troop Command Brigade, plays a dead victim in a hallway as active shooter role players walk through the Allied Trades Building on Camp Lincoln during the Valid Risk 2016 Exercise May, 11 in Springfield, Illinois. Valid Risk is a scenario-driven, full-scale active shooter exercise hosted by the Illinois National Guard designed to validate response plans and identify strengths and points of improvement during crisis response. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Spreitzer, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)

Hometown Military News: May 13, 2016:

Illinois National Guard host actice shooter exercise

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois National Guard conducted its fourth-annual active shooter exercise in conjunction with local and state emergency responders May 11 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Chepulis, Provost Marshall for the Illinois National Guard said the 2016 active shooter exercise was designed as a multiple day, multiple scenario event geared toward validating emergency response plans and identifying strengths and areas of improvement during a crisis.

Wednesday’s event was day one and included two scenarios. The first scenario was a multiple shooter incident in the Allied Trades Building on Camp Lincoln where three suspects were shooting indiscriminately at workers in the building. In the second scenario, two of the shooters from the first incident moved to the Illinois Military Academy on Camp Lincoln and caused a mass casualty incident that culminated in a hostage situation.

“Today’s events will actually drive day two which happens at the 183rd Fighter Wing next week,” said Chepulis. “The responders here will have simulated intelligence that will lead to a larger weapons of mass destruction-type scenario on May 18.”

The exercise included first responders from multiple agencies including Springfield Fire and Police Departments, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Sangamon County Coroner’s Office, Memorial Medical Center, St. John’s Hospital, America Ambulance, Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, the American Red Cross, and Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team.

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