MSD wants to give people a heads up, as a drill for an active shooter situation is happening at the new Oakdale Middle School.
The district hopes it will prepare and strengthen the community’s response to emergency situations.
“This is a one of a kind event that I‘ve ever seen, period,” MSD superintendent Dr. Bret Champion said. “Not just southern Oregon.”
MSD is preparing to partner with multiple agencies in a large-scale multi-agency safety drill Thursday.
It will take place at the band new Oakdale Middle School and will use the surrounding area to setup for a mass causality event.
Thursday’s activities will start at 9 a.m. with an active shooter situation as the main drill.
MSD’s Ron Havniear spearheaded the effort last fall and says it’s grown into something much bigger than originally planned.
“What we thought was going to be a hundred people is up to 450 people and 30 plus organizations,” he said. “And people are excited to kind of take the opportunity to kind of put ourselves into the uncomfortable zone here on Thursday and test our ability to respond.”
MSD is partnering with Medford Police, Medford Fire, Jackson County, Mercy Flights and many more to pull this off.
It will be a full simulation of a mass shooting event that will include rushing people in ambulances to both Medford hospitals
Medford Police chief Justin Ivens said although his department already has an active shooter training every year, this one is different, as the community gets to work together.
“Having the foresight to put this on our radar to train together, we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen in these types of events, but we can only get better,” he said.
Again, MSD wants people to know there will be a heavy presence of law enforcement and emergency vehicles in the area near Oakdale Middle School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in southwest Medford.
Some streets in the area will be closed because of this drill.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.