Courtesy of San Juan County Fire and Rescue
Courtesy of San Juan County Fire and Rescuedu1-i-syn

A full-scale drill will take place Saturday, Oct. 7, at San Juan College involving local public safety agencies.

The drill is planned by the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the college, according to county spokesman Devin Neeley.

Neeley said the drill is supported by the American Red Cross and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Emergency Management. Participating agencies include the Aztec, Bloomfield and Farmington Police Departments, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, County Fire and Rescue, Farmington Fire Department, San Juan Regional Emergency Medical Services, San Juan County Communications Authority and the Northwest New Mexico EmComm Group.

The drill is planned for Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. About 80 first responders, college staff and volunteers will participate, Neeley said Tuesday in an email.

This drill is planned around an active-shooter scenario on the college campus.

The San Juan College campus will be open during the emergency drill, with the exception of the following buildings and areas.• Parking lots A, B, C, F.• Educational Services Center (Clocktower building).• Health Sciences Center.• Henderson Fine Arts Center.• Outside the Connie Gotsch Theatre.• Department of Public Safety.• The Health and Human Performance Center will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to noon. HHPC hours Saturday will be noon to 5 p.m.

Neeley said the Office of Emergency Management has been “planning and hosting full-scale drills in the county for around 30 years.”

This is an “opportunity for all local response agencies to work together and practice response to any large-scale emergency that may span jurisdictions, or affect a large swath of residents,” he said.

Additionally, “the county’s proactive approach has been instrumental in responding to real-world emergencies, and all county residents have benefited from lessons learned in a simulated world and applied to real-world emergencies,” Neeley stated.