On Sept. 7, a regional critical incident training exercise was held at Busch Gardens Williamsburg that simulated a complex critical incident and mass casualty event in a public venue.
Participating agencies included: James City County Police, Fire and EMS, York Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, York Fire and EMS, Virginia State Police, VDEM, FBI, Busch Gardens and other local, state and federal first responders.
The exercise was not planned as a response to any current threat or specific security concerns. The purpose of the exercise was to challenge and evaluate the effectiveness of federal, state, local and private security planning for response to a mass casualty event in a large public venue. Exercises of this nature are a crucial part of response efforts and making improvements to collaboration between private, local, state and federal partners.
James City County Police Department prides itself on maintaining a highly trained police force and exercises like these afford us the opportunity to evaluate and improve training practices and procedures.