Orillia college hosts active shooter simulation to train emergency responders

A bloody and frightening scene played out at Georgian College in Orillia, but it was all to help train emergency services for catastrophic incidents.

The chilling simulation involved two active shooters at the school, with multiple students portraying injured victims.

Ontario Provincial Police conduct specialized training with students posing as injured victims at Georgian College campus in Orillia, Ont., on Wed., June 26, 2024. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)

"This was to focus their initial response to immediately stop the threat and offer care," explained OPP Insp. Phil Browne. "These occurrences are unpredictable."

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The simulation lasted roughly 30 minutes and helped to prepare more than just first responders.

"We want to make sure our response procedures are accurate and well planned, so this was an opportunity to go through a scenario and work through that," said Dave Truax, the executive director of campus safety at Georgian College.

Several video cameras captured the exercise to allow police to review protocols and identify areas for improvement. However, the footage is not available for public viewing at the request of the police.

For the students who took part, it was an opportunity to help first responders and the college devise new ways of responding to threats.

"This is part of building resilience, but also building the capacity of the officers to be at their best in such tragic situations," said Browne.

The OPP will spend the coming weeks reviewing the exercise. A similar event is planned for the fall in Midland, where the focus will shift to hostage-taking scenarios.