Farmingville, NY - On the evening of March 9, more than 100 officers from several Police Departments throughout Suffolk County participated in an Active Shooter Drill in Brookhaven’s Town Hall. The training conducted and coordinated by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Emergency Service and Homeland Security Sections is scheduled several times a year in schools, hospitals, and businesses throughout Suffolk County.
Brookhaven Town Public Safety Commissioner John Meehan assisted in coordinating the event that included the participation of Brookhaven Town Fire Marshals, who also serve as armed peace officers. In addition to officers from the Suffolk County Police Department, other participating Departments included the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Suffolk County Park Rangers, Suffolk County Auxiliary Police, Riverhead Town Police Department, Northport Village Police Department, Lloyd Harbor Village Police Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory Police, the New York State Park Police and the Smithtown Department of Public Safety. Following classroom training, officers were put through several real-life scenarios designed to improve the officer’s tactics in stopping threats in an active shooter situation. The session concluded with a de-briefing to review individual performance.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said, “In today’s world, it’s important to keep our guard up and be prepared for any situation that could arise. We’ve taken a number of proactive steps in our own to enhance security and raise the level of vigilance throughout the building, but there’s always room for improvement. I thank Commissioner Meehan, the Suffolk County Police Department and Homeland Security for helping to make Town Hall safer for our employees and the residents who visit us every day.”
“Preparing for active shooter attacks in Suffolk County is a shared responsibility and our department works collaboratively with all public safety agencies on this effort,” Suffolk County Police Department Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation from Brookhaven Town in allowing us to us their building for this event. Training in real environments makes our training more effective and valuable, as does training together with our partners in this effort.”