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SCV NewsBreak | Emergency Response Training Drill at Westfield Valencia Town Center

Uploaded 06/01/2014

Emergency Response Training Drill at Westfield Valencia Town Center

Story by Perry Smith, HomeTownStation.com

Video by Megan Perez, SCVTV

About 200 Sheriff’s Department personnel and volunteers joined in an emergency response training drill Sunday in Santa Clarita for Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies.

The training exercise took place at the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., beginning shortly after the mall closed down for its regular operating hours.

“We’re conducting a series of exercises so that we can be ready in the event of an emergency,” said Commander Mike Parker of the Sheriff’s Department, describing various situations for which deputies were training.The Sheriff’s Department hosted a shooting-bomb training drill at the Westfield Valencia Town Center shopping mall in Santa Clarita

Deputies trained for several hours going through several rescue and evacuation scenarios.

The Bomb Squad vehicle and the Arson/Explosives detail was part one of the exercises while another simulation involved a shooter.

One of the simulations began with a flash bang outside of the Red Robin restaurant at the shopping center during an hour when the parking lot would normally be quiet.

The quiet was disrupted by a group of teenage volunteer “victims” who ran outside the mall screaming as a security guard waiting nearby calmly directed them to a designated safe area.

Another drill involved the bomb squad rendering a possible explosive device safe.

The drill also involved several helicopter units from the Aero Bureau, and deputies from Palmdale, Lancaster, and Headquarters, among others.

The drills take place throughout the year in various parts of Los Angeles County. The goal is to make sure all first-responders are ready in the event of an emergency situation.

“This training is really important for us in that it gets us ready for, sadly, what happens from time to time in society today,” Parker said. “And so we get the sheriff’s deputies and firefighters, who are the regularly assigned people that work this community and we put them through these exercises and drills so that they’re as ready as possible.”

All streets near the shopping mall remained open during the drill.

 

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29 Comments for SCV NewsBreak: Emergency Response Training Drill at Westfield Valencia Town Center
  1. When something actually happens, you’ll be happy to see these guys come save your life.

  2. Unca Lugi Unca Lugi says:

    KILL ‘EM ALL, BABY! LET GOD SORT ‘EM OUT! USA! USA! USA!

  3. Waste of money. Can only imagine the price tag of all that. The Valencia mall is the last place to worry about. The mall worrys more about skaters than guns or “terrorists”.

  4. I am glad they were able to do the training!! It will prepare them for future events and to better serve our communities!!

  5. The people complaining about their rights and how much it cost, are the first ones to dial 911 when they need help!

  6. Training is always needed. You can just go get equipment and not train with it. Life we say train like we fight fight like we train. Shouldn’t be anybody!!! Complaining about tax dollars with a drill like this that could potentially save many lives.

  7. Glad to see them getting prepared. Good job guys.

  8. as Americans we must be prepared for anything and everything. trauma in local hospitals are subjected to disaster in any moment. Trauma overflow on a daily basis, are we prepared ??

  9. I’m very glad they were able to do this as well. I watched the video, and understand they do this often, throughout the county. It gives me more peace of mind that they will respond accordingly in the event a real disaster/attack would occur. If they didn’t do this, and more casualties were the result, who would get the blame? Yep…they would. I’d love to volunteer too!! Maybe next time….

  10. Were private business hurt and compensated for their high rent retail locations being hurt by this nonsense?

    Do it at City Hall that is closed and more likely to see violence…

    Think.

  11. Douglas Arms Douglas Arms says:

    How much tax payer money did these clowns such up in over time to play with their tax payer supplied toys? Glad no innocent people got shot in the process…

  12. New world order coming to a town near you

  13. They are thinking new ways to crush our freedoms! The 4th amendment who needs that…

  14. So cool! I’m glad they were able to do this training.

    • Gary Scott Gary Scott says:

      Kristine, while they look like gas masks, they are not. They are heavy duty paintball masks, they guns they are using shoot small paint palls at a very high velocity.

    • Gary Scott Gary Scott says:

      Kristine, while they look like gas masks, they are not. They are heavy duty paintball masks, they guns they are using shoot small paint palls at a very high velocity.

  15. Ronie Rowsey Ronie Rowsey says:

    Would have liked to volunteered for this event! Blast. Thanks for letting me know

  16. “: Emergency Response Training Drill ar Westfield Valencia Town Center – http://t.co/9qrjX3cT9T”

  17. Sonya Rowin Sonya Rowin says:

    Yes they did. And where I understand the need for training, the noise for the last three hours was a bit annoying. But thank you for training….

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