Executive Summary
- Council Bluffs Police, Fire, and state agencies conducted an active shooter drill at St. Albert High School.
- The simulation included hospital transport for triage practice and an off-site command center.
- Students and parents participated as role players to increase the realism of the exercise.
- Officials plan to expand these proactive safety drills to other schools in the city.
Multiple public safety agencies converged on St. Albert High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Monday to conduct a comprehensive active shooter drill designed to stress-test emergency response protocols during the holiday break.
According to the Council Bluffs Police Department, the exercise involved extensive collaboration between local police and fire departments, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and Pottawattamie County Emergency Management. Police Chief Matt Davis emphasized the necessity of cross-departmental training to ensure seamless operations during potential real-world incidents.
“Make sure that we can perform in concert, that we break out of our silos and that we share information and that we operate as seamlessly as possible in the field,” Chief Davis stated regarding the objectives of the simulation.
The drill extended beyond the school grounds to simulate a complex, citywide response. Emergency medical teams transported role-playing victims to a local hospital to practice triage procedures, while law enforcement established a central command post at a nearby church. Organizers utilized parents and students as actors to enhance the realism of the scenario for first responders.
Authorities have indicated that the city intends to implement similar training exercises at other schools throughout the area. Chief Davis noted that while the department aims to be proactive, these drills are a necessary measure to ensure a high level of preparedness for mass casualty events.
Operational Readiness Assessment
The coordination of this large-scale simulation underscores a shifting strategy in law enforcement to prioritize inter-agency interoperability before a crisis occurs. By integrating hospital triage and off-site command centers into the drill, authorities are moving beyond simple tactical neutralization scenarios to address the complex logistical challenges of mass casualty events. This proactive approach aims to identify communication gaps between state and local entities, ensuring that procedural silos do not impede rapid response times during actual emergencies.
