Dodge County Sheriff Says Active Shooter Exercise Was Informative

(Juneau) Authorities say they learned a lot from an active shooter simulation that was held this month at county-owned buildings in Juneau. The aim was to test the ability of multiple county agencies to work together to manage the response and recovery phases of an incident involving a gunman. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt, who participated as a member of the entry team during the event, told us recently on WBEV’s Community Comment that the drill went very well. He says it was an eye-opening experience from a command and first responder perspective. Schmidt says there were a lot of good things that were done but adds there are a lot of things that they can learn from. Dodge County Emergency Management Department Director Amy Nehls is putting together an after-action report to make suggestions and find areas of improvement. Schmidt says it is important to train staff to handle such situations so if something does happen they are prepared. Sheriff’s Captain Chad Enright, who also served as a member of the entry team, says the exercise was a powerful reminder for those who took part of the dangers involved during an active shooter scare. He says county staff told him that the exercise made them think about procedures and their actions during a potential event. Enright says the drill allowed agency’s from across the county to work together to better understand their roles during an emergency situation. Staff from the Dodge County Courthouse, the Henry Dodge Office Building, the Dodge County Highway Department, and the Dodge County Administration Building all took part during the January 15th exercise.