Reminder: Nevada County Services to be Interrupted on July 20 from 10am-12pm for Emergency Preparedness Exercise

July 7, 2017 – On July 20^th, between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at the Eric Rood Administrative Center, Nevada County will be conducting an Active Shooter Preparedness Exercise as part of their Emergency Action Plan. County services at the Eric Rood Administration Center will be interrupted during the scheduled training. There will be signage at the entrances to the Eric Rood Administrative Center as well as throughout the building to alert residents of the training.  There will also be a number of law enforcement, emergency response vehicles, and behavioral health therapists in the area to ensure that the exercise happens safely for all involved. Please avoid the campus until the training exercise is complete.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as these agencies participate in this vital public safety training.

Nevada County’s Emergency Action Plan, required by the State and OSHA, ensures a well-rehearsed, quick, and coordinated response that helps to save lives and ensure the continuity of essential services in the event of an emergency. The Active Shooter Preparedness Exercise is in response to the increase in active shooter events we have seen in schools and government agencies in recent years.  FEMA has developed a “Run, Hide, Fight” protocol to help guide agencies on emergency response and training for active shooter situations.

Sheriff Captain Jeff Pettitt states, “It is important to have a proactive approach to active shooter training to ensure both law enforcement and our employees are prepared and up to date with current safety techniques. Through a preparation exercise like the one we are holding on the 20th, we are able to evaluate outcomes, areas of improvement, and preform corrective actions so we can be best prepared in the event that we do have an active shooter situation, whether it be at a County facility or elsewhere in Nevada County.”

The exercise is a result of several months of preparation by Nevada County Risk Management, Sheriff, and Public Health which included Table Top Exercises at leadership meetings and online trainings for all employees.  The purpose of the exercise is to educate County staff on the proper response to an active shooter situation, how law enforcement responds to active shooter situations, and what County staff can do to mitigate injury and the loss of life in an active shooter situation.