UCF police train for VT-style shooting with high technology
Stephanie Wilken
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News
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About 140 UCF students, faculty and staff volunteered to participate in a series of training exercises as innocents trapped in a building being stalked by a school shooter. Participants were given roles to play when confronted by police and wore vests equipped with sensors that worked along with sensors on police rifles to record minor, serious or fatal hits.
The exercise was a first for Florida universities.
One year after the Virginia Tech massacre, UCF Police Chief Richard Beary said the university is prepared for a similar situation.
"We have all the necessary tools we need, and this is just one more piece of training to put those tools into place," Beary said.
The vacant, 50,000-square-foot office building where the scenarios were played out provided police with a practice space similar to what a classroom building looks like. Rooms were labeled as classrooms or a lobby and set up to look like the real thing.
The scenario began with three shots. Then voices traveled through the maze of rooms as the participants screamed and shouted for help or chattered, terrified as police charged in. Some of the players pleaded with the officers not to go further, begging for help.
Pete Wallace, director of UCF Academic Affairs, hunched over Steve Talbert, a College of Nursing faculty member, ready to start CPR as police armed with rifles entered the room.
"Help us, help us, this guy needs your help," Wallace yelled as a team of four officers searched the room before calling it clear and continuing their search.
The scenario was designed to help train about 35 officers for an emergency. UCF is still awaiting a DVD of the exercise, which will be reviewed to determine the exercise's success.
Saab Training USA, located in Research Park, provided UCF PD with the equipment for the exercise, free of charge, which Beary said "saved everybody a lot of money."
Saab provided vests with GPS antennas that sent data back to a control center. The movement of each participant in the exercise was monitored. Saab employees operated the monitoring equipment and are creating the DVD.
Students, faculty and staff wore safety goggles, vests and clothing that covered their arms and legs as a safety precaution.