CBP Erie Marine Unit, local law enforcement conduct active shooter drill

A multi-agency team of 30 law enforcement officers recently conducted an active shooter drill at an elementary school in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Marine Interdiction Agents assigned to Air and Marine Operations’ Erie Marine Unit, agents from U.S. Border Patrol’s Fairview Station and officers from Pennsylvania State Police, Erie County Sheriff’s office and local police departments from Girard and Lake City participated in the training.

The drill took place at an elementary school in the Fairview School District during an in-service training day for teachers while students were off for President’s Day.

“If an active shooter call goes out on the radio, every law enforcement agency in the area will respond immediately,” Marine Interdiction Agent Jon Rose said. “The training gave us all a chance to work and practice together, with a realistic training scenario. Teachers sat in classrooms while officers fired blank rounds in the hallways.”

The school district has also taken steps to protect its students, teachers and staff from incidents such as active shooter, Fairview Township School Supervisor Erik Kincade said.

“It’s something we practice a lot here in Fairview — we take it very seriously,” Kincade said. “Our school board has put a lot of money into security and safety measures in our buildings, probably upwards of $600,000 or $700,000 dollars’ worth of cameras, hardening the glass, better doors, and different hardware and security systems.”