Students studying in Middleton Library should not be completely surprised if the building is raided by an armed swat team during the month of May.
LSU Police Department representatives worked with local Baton Rouge agencies on Wednesday to begin planning a campus-wide active shooter drill, said LSUPD Spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde.
The main focus of the drill is to help prepare departments involved for a real situation on campus involving a shooter and other violent situations.
Lalonde said the drill will take place on the morning of May 20 around 8 a.m. and cease around noon. The drill will focus heavily on the area of Middleton Library, with the library being the central point of the drill.
One of the main things those involved with the drill have had to focus on is making it seem as realistic as possible, Lalonde said.
Lalonde said the drill will also feature “roleplayers” who will act as victims, witnesses and possible suspects.
Because the finer details of the scenario will remain unknown to the response parties involved, the agencies participating in the drill have formed groups consisting of multiple individuals from each agency that share similar job positions to strengthen communication and problem solving techniques.
“Those involved will only be given basic info as the events unfold,” Lalonde said. “This will test how we work together as a unit to solve a particular problem.”
Outside agencies from the Baton Rouge area such as Baton Rouge Police Department and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center will be participating to drive the sense of realism even further. The drill will also see participation from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
“We want to look at the capabilities of all responding units and figure out how to coordinate those units accordingly to get the most effective response in that type of incident.” Lalonde said.
Lalonde said preparing for an incident of this nature is crucial because law enforcements agencies never know when or where an incident such as this may occur.