news-record.com

Thanks to a collaborative training effort, Elon University emergency personnel are more prepared for potential crises.

Last week, university police and security partnered with 10 local emergency response agencies for crisis training.

"The men and women who took part in the exercise all work for agencies that would assist Elon should a crisis ever take place," said Eric Townsend , the school's news bureau director. "By training together, police from different agencies learn how to work with each other."

Elon tried out the new system with a crisis simulation designed by university police Chief Chuck Gantos .

Under the scenario, an armed suspect had taken hostages and barricaded himself in one of the academic buildings.

University officials sounded an outdoor alarm and activated a text messaging alert system.

Agencies involved included the State Bureau of Investigation, Gibsonville police, Elon Fire Department, Burlington/Alamance County Sheriff's and Rockingham County Sheriff's Special Response Teams, Alamance EMS and Elon police.

"This was a good opportunity for us to train with the officers we would be working with in these kinds of situations," Elon police Chief LaVelle Lovette said. "This is probably the first of many of these types of training exercises."

"I think most universities across the United States learned from the Virginia Tech shooting last year," Townsend said. "Sadly, one of the biggest lessons that was reiterated in Blacksburg is violence can happen anywhere, any time."

That is why training for similar situations keeps students and employees safe, he added.

Contact Tiffany S. Jones at 449-4731, or tiffany.jones@news-record.com