Capitol Campus to host active threat drill
The state Capitol campus will be abuzz with police and fire personnel as local agencies participate in an active threat drill Friday and Saturday.
The drill will be hosted by the Washington State Patrol and the Department of Enterprise Services. State Patrol spokesman Kyle Moore said the event isn’t a response to any specific threats made against the Capitol, but rather a way to prepare local agencies in case such an incident occurs.
“We realize that any large-sized threat will require many agencies to work together,” Moore said. “We don’t get to work together every day, so it’s good to practice.”
Participating agencies include the Olympia and Lacey police departments, the Olympia Fire Department, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, the Pierce County Metro SWAT team, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT team.
On Friday, the first responders will conduct a walk-through of several buildings at the Capitol.
Most of the drill’s activities will take place Saturday, when about 200 first responders will be on campus. They will bring about 50 vehicles.
The drill — which begins at 6 a.m. and end at midnight — will take place in the Cherberg, Legislative, O’Brien and Temple of Justice buildings . Some roads and parking lots will be closed and used to stage people, equipment and vehicles.
Signs and troopers will be posted near the entrances of the buildings to remind people to stay away from the drill.
The Legislative Building will be open for regular weekend hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will be closed earlier in the morning and then again later in the afternoon for the indoor training exercises.
Moore said that it’s important to hold the drills given the frequency of shootings and other active threat events in public areas. He said that the State Patrol and Department of Enterprise Services hope to make the drill an annual event. Future events will likely include even more law enforcement agencies.
“Unfortunately, it’s something we need to be prepared for,” Moore said.
Amelia Dickson: 360-754-5445, @Amelia_Oly
This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Capitol Campus to host active threat drill."