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Fort Eustis conducts active shooter exercise

Posted at 7:46 AM, Aug 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-23 21:12:01-04

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. - Fort Eustis held an active shooter exercise at General Stanford Elementary School and surrounding areas Thursday.

Fort Eustis and Newport News Public Schools officials practiced coordinated response procedures in the event of a real-world emergency affecting Joint Base Langley-Eustis and General Stanford Elementary School.

"We are dedicated to our active duty members, the civilians and the family members on post to ensure the safety of Fort Eustis," base security personnel George Jay told News 3.

The exercise is not expected to impact the installation’s entry points or customer service areas.

Before the exercise, officials advised residents they may hear emergency response vehicles or see activity associated with response procedures. The school was in recess during the exercise, so students weren't involved.

The exercise included scenarios designed to test command, control and communication procedures for neutralizing a threat, as well as immediate actions to take at the scene in the event of a violent incident at the school.

"I don't think there's a difference between on base and off base," said exercise program manager Randy Renaud. "They all get very similar training to react to a situation like this. This gives an opportunity sometimes together to work on as one team."