CAPE MAY, N.J. — The U.S. Coast Guard, in partnership with dozens of other regional law enforcement, emergency response and emergency management agencies, held a full-scale Active Shooter Exercise May 31 on Coast Guard Training Center Cape May.
The exercise, the first of its kind to be held on a Coast Guard training center, involved a scenario of an unprovoked active shooter opening fire during a recruit graduation ceremony and wounding or killing about 30 people.
The objectives of the exercise were to respond and recover from an emergency situation, in order to identify ways to prevent threats to the public’s safety and security.
“This exercise provided us with a great opportunity for law enforcement, military and EMS personnel to partner and train to better respond to safety and security threats aboard the training center — as well as in the community,” said Capt. William G. Kelly, commanding officer of Coast Guard Training Center Cape May.
“Although we won’t have a complete picture of the lessons learned until we have a chance to compile everyone’s observations and feedback, these types of exercises give us a chance to come together with our partner agencies in the region, identify any redundancies or conflicts in our procedures.”
More than 300 people, from dozens of agencies, participated through exercise design, active participation or support.
