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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – MCB Quantico hosted a full-scale active shooter response exercise involving fire and emergency services and security personnel from on base and neighboring communities, June 11.
The exercise involved coordinated participation from the MCB Quantico’s Provost Marshal’s Office, Fire and Emergency Services, the Prince William County Police Department, and Stafford County’s Sheriff's Office and Fire and Rescue Department.
“The exercise of this scope allows us to fully integrate law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and the command-and-control element of managing a major incident,” said Peter Russett, the director of MCB Quantico’s Installation Protection branch.
The exercise evaluated first responders’ capability, cooperability and coordination during a simulated active-shooter scenario.
“We try as much as we can to work together,” said Capt. Feliciano Wilson, an officer with Prince William County Police Department. “We try to make sure that we are trained and understand each other’s tactics. If these incidences do happen, we already know how each other work, which creates that camaraderie.”
Key components of the exercise included the deployment of military police special reaction teams and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office to conduct room clearing and rescue operations. The scenario also included an explosive ordnance disposal response to a simulated suspicious package to test bomb threat procedures while law enforcement agencies utilized drones to provide aerial surveillance and situational awareness.
“It's just the prep work and the awareness,” said Wilson. “The drop is because more agencies across the country nationally have a plan on how we respond to these incidents.”
According to the FBI database, 223 active shooter cases happened between 2020 and 2024, with 19 states having incidents in 2024 alone.
During the active shooter exercise, medical personnel from Stafford and Prince William Counties provided simulated care through mass casualty triage and delivered on-site patient care to role players with injuries while air medical crews participated in patient evacuations.
The exercise also tested unified command and interagency communication procedures, ensuring that local, federal and military authorities could share information and coordinate effectively in a crisis. Representatives from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the FBI were also integrated into the response to simulate federal coordination during a major emergency.
“It’s about understanding what an active shooter can do,” said Brock McCurdy, a lead coordinator for the exercise and member of the MCB Quantico Installations Protections Branch. “The more you can be exposed to this type of scenario, the more you are prepared to handle the situation.”
Exercises like this emphasize the need to be vigilant and prepared for emergencies.
Authorities urge anyone who see suspicious behavior to report it. For emergencies, please call 911.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 17:37 |
| Story ID: | 500602 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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