Laconia prepares for the worst

During an active-shooter exercise Saturday, two Laconia police officers check the parking lot at Woodland Heights Elementary School after “neutralizing” a second “shooter.” (Alan MacRae for The Laconia Daily Sun)

First responders carry out active-shooter exercise at Woodland Heights School

By ROGER AMSDEN, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — In a training scenario that played out Saturday, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle and wearing a backpack entered Woodland Heights Elementary School during what participants pretended was its afternoon release period and "shot" into the office area, leaving a "dead body" and others "injured." He then moved into a classroom, yelling, “Barbara where are you?” and "shot" other people, telling students not to move.

When the first police officers arrived at the scene, the intruder started shooting into the ceiling and the officers moved immediately to the classroom area on the second floor, where they surrounded and took out the "shooter" in an exchange of play-acted gunfire.

A few minutes later a second "shooter," who had been hiding in a truck in the parking lot, got out of the truck and started "firing." He, too, was taken out by a second team of officers who had arrived.

Meanwhile, emergency medical personnel hurried into the building to treat the "wounded" as armed police escorted actors portraying students from the high school. Those playing wounded patients, who wore peach-colored shirts, were then transported to Lakes Region General Hospital.

Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield said that his department's officers performed well in the active shooter training exercise.

“They had to react to an unfolding situation in real time and rely on their previous training in making their response. It was a very good training exercise and they reacted very appropriately. It had the same fast pace as a real-life situation and we learned a lot about what we did well and what we could have done better,” said Canfield.

Canfield said the active shooter full-scale training exercise was funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and was in the planning process for eight months.

“It's one of the worst-case scenarios that can be imagined, but we have to train for these situations so we can be prepared if it ever does (occur),” said Canfield, who said that achieving operational coordination between police, fire and emergency medical personnel was a major goal of the exercise.

In addition to the Laconia police, fire and school departments, participants included the hospital, Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Dispatch, safety officers from the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.

The entire process was observed by evaluators, who will compile a final report to be shared with all participants.

Canfield said that an even larger regional exercise is being planned for next year.

A Laconia police officer checks on an injured “victim” in the lobby of the school. Those playing the injured wore peach-colored shirts in the exercise.  (Alan MacRae for The Laconia Daily Sun)

A team of Laconia police officers make their way into Woodland Heights Elementary School, where they played out a scene that included a dead body and two people shooting at the school. Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield said the officers performed well, and they learned a lot about how to react should such a scenario play out in real life. (Alan MacRae for The Laconia Daily Sun)

Laconia Fire Department Deputy Chief Shawn Riley coordinates emergency medical services during the active shooter exercise at Woodland Heights Elementary School on Saturday. (Alan MacRae for The Laconia Daily Sun)