Military personnel along with federal and local law enforcement took part in an active shooter drill Tuesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May Watch video
CAPE MAY -- Unless the loudspeaker announced it was only a drill, one may very well have thought the screams coming from the hallways, the blood spattered on the ground and the weapons drawn from police officers' holsters were all actually from a real-life shooter on a killing rampage.
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Military personnel along with federal and local law enforcement took part in an active shooter drill Tuesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May.
The exercise aimed to be as realistic as possible to ensure proper response in the event of a real-life emergency.
It appeared that goal was achieved, as throughout the morning recruits from the U.S. Coast Guard were posted around the base pleading for help with fake blood and fairly realistic makeup to simulate actual injuries.
"Help! Help! I'm hurt!" Help me!" One recruit yelled.
Even though it was a simulation, the collective yells from the victims formed a rather disturbing cacophony of noise -- something that stuck in your head even after it was all done.
The law enforcement and emergency personnel -- which were primarily from Cape May County -- responded to the victims just as they would had it been a real-life situation.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Newark division also participated Tuesday and had special agents from its weapons of mass destruction directorate and joint terrorism task force.
The agents weren't authorized to speak, but Special Agent Celeste Danzi, spokeswoman for the FBI's Newark division, spoke to NJ Advance Media by telephone afterward and explained the importance of the FBI's participation Tuesday.
"We work with our state and local partners because we can be called in to assist for either violent acts or a mass shooting at the request of local law enforcement officers," Danzi said.
Tuesday's drill also included a simulated scenario of a hazardous chemical attack. The backstory was that the active shooter caused a chemical exposure as a diversion before proceeding on a murderous rampage.
"We look to participate in these types of drills because they don't happen that frequently," Danzi said, "and we want to make sure even though a mass shooting or a bomb is not a frequent occurrence, it's a good idea for us to make sure that our response is all that it should be."
Chief Warrant Officer John Edwards, spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, said the drill -- which is held at the base every two years -- is vital to identify where improvement is needed during emergency situations.
"These sorts of programs expose the weaknesses that we may have in our plans; they show where our response time is lacking, or it could show that we have a full understanding of communication," Edwards said. "But it's a really good view of where we need to improve because there's always room to improve. And in order to mitigate any emergencies, we want to be as efficient as possible."
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.