Media Advisory: PGPD to Hold Active Shooter Drill at High Point High School

The Prince George’s County Police Department is hosting a joint active shooter training exercise at High Point High School in Beltsville on Friday, July 19, 2013. The drill will include realistic law enforcement and Prince George’s County Fire Department response to multiple shooters inside a school during the school day.

“These realistic mock scenarios test our first responders capabilities in the event of an emergency,” said Prince George’s County Police Chief Mark Magaw. “We want to assure our community that our department and our law enforcement partners train for these type of situations so we are prepared if and when we're needed.”

During the drill, more than 100 PGPD recruits will play the role of students at the school. The scenario will start with patrol officers responding to the school after 911 calls for a shooting inside the school. Members of the media will be able to see the responding officers’ entry into the building, the removal of any injured students, and the PGPD Special Operations Division, to include aviation response. Additionally, the head of the PGPD Training division will walk reporters through the scenario as it plays out.

Participating Agencies:
Prince George’s County Police Department
Prince George’s County Fire Department
Maryland State Police
Montgomery County Police
Charles County Sheriff's Office
Bowie Police Department
Greenbelt Police Department

WHO:    Deputy Chief Henry Stawinski, Prince George’s County Police Department

              Chief Marc Bashoor, Prince George’s County Fire Department

              Major Mark Person, Commander, PGPD Training and Education Division

              Mike Blow, Director of Security Services for Prince George's County Public Schools

WHAT:   News Conference on Active Shooter Drill

WHEN:  Friday, July 19, 2013

TIME:   8:20 am (deadline for media to assemble in designated media location)

             8:30 am (start of news conference)

WHERE:  High Point High School

                3601 Powder Mill Road

                Beltsville, MD

Producers/Planning Editors: Please call the Media Relations Division to discuss morning live shot possibilities. Parking for the media will ONLY be available in a clearly marked front row of the parking lot facing Powder Mill Rd. 
Morning timeline:

7:00 am Participating agencies arriving on site
8:20 am Members of the media must be in designated media location at school
8:30 am News conference
9:00 am Active shooter drill begins
Time TBD/As Needed: Maj. Person to give interviews on drill progress and outcome

For more information and to request a parking space, please contact Christina Cotterman at the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Media Relations Division at 301-772-4710.