Do not be alarmed if you see a large number of emergency vehicles at Wheaton North High School on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. While Wheaton students are on spring break, Wheaton’s Police and Fire Departments will be busy taking part in a training exercise with Community Unit School District 200 staff and DuPage County Emergency Management. The City has been working with these partners for several months in advance of a practical exercise, administered by DuPage County Emergency Management staff.
The exercise will take place at Wheaton North High School and Wheaton Warrenville South High School on Tuesday, March 26, simulating the response of local agencies to an active shooter incident. Wheaton’s Police and Fire personnel are using this as a tactical training exercise to practice their emergency response training, while District 200 staff and administration will practice their emergency response procedures and reunification plan using volunteers, who will be bussed to Wheaton Warrenville South.
“While Wheaton's Police, Fire and EMS personnel are consistently training for all types of incidents, it is beneficial to hold exercises like this, where we can practice together with our community partners,” said Police Chief Bill Murphy. “The City of Wheaton and District 200 take school safety very seriously, and drills like this help us to work through our response plans and be ready for any type of emergency that we may face.”