During this portion of the exercise, as well as other times throughout the week, alert sirens could be sounded and may be audible in areas adjacent to the base. Residents in the surrounding communities are reminded that those alarms are only a part of the exercise, unless informed otherwise by base officials.
» QUICK READ: 5 key facts we learned from Wright-Patt active shooter report
During the exercise, loudspeaker announcements might be heard. Gate traffic could be backed up or rerouted, and some roadways could be temporarily blocked. Travel may also be congested, according to base officials.
Emergency response vehicles will be seen and heard around the base, and security measures could be increased. Installation Inspection Team members, easily identifiable by the bright-yellow reflective vests that each wears, will evaluate the response to the exercise events throughout the week, according to the base.
On Aug. 3 — the same day an active shooting training session was taking place at Wright-Patterson — a 9-1-1 call reported an active shooter at the base’s medical center in Area A. Around 50 police officers and military personnel responded to the false alarm.
A report by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations — requested by the base’s commander and released in late December — detailed how the uncoordinated response from law enforcement to the call could have resulted in “serious injury and property damage.”
The report described an unruly scene that unfolded and resulted in a military service member discharging multiple rounds of ammunition from an assault rifle.
“A thorough understanding between federal, state and local agencies about command and control to include understanding jurisdiction and response procedures needs to be established,” the report found.
The report also indicated that all base exercises were not clearly communicated to employees.
“While realism is important in training exercises, all personnel must be always be fully aware of exercise vs. real-world situations. Coordinating with all concerned organizations and then sticking with the agreed upon plan is essential to keeping everyone fully aware,” the report found.
Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer told the Dayton Daily News on Friday that base officials communicated to his office about next week’s base exercises. Fischer shared the information with upper-level law enforcement so they knew what to expect with the activity.
“They sent an email to us letting us know they were having it, and they would not be calling for assistance,” he said.
Fischer said the base is an important community partner that they will work with at any time. Beavercreek Police Capt. Chad Lindsey said the base also notified them through email on Tuesday, and he said it was helpful to communicate with his staff. He said the police do not have to modify any protocol due to the base exercises.
A base spokeswoman said Wright-Patt communicated next week’s excercise through its normal channels, including its newspaper and base-wide email. First responders communicated with community counterparts. Leadership across the base was briefed to ensure they were aware of the exercise scenarios, and they approved of the objectives and risk analysis associated with the scenarios, the spokeswoman said.
An active shooter exercise will not occur next week.
Patrick Oliver, former police chief in Fairborn and current associate professor of criminal justice at Cedarville University, said when the base is doing active shooter exercises, officials should notify every law enforcement agency as well as every hospital and emergency response agency in the region.
“Everybody should be aware of what’s happening,” he told the Dayton Daily News.
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