GEORGIAN COLLEGE
OPP training exercise at Orillia Campus highlights community collaboration

Dozens of local police, paramedics, firefighters and other emergency responders descended on Georgian College's Orillia Campus on June 26 for a mock training exercise led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The exercise, which involved a simulated active threat scenario with multiple casualties and injuries, was intended to ensure Orillia emergency services and Georgian's Campus Safety Services are as prepared as possible for all types of emergencies. It allows Georgian to test its lockdown procedure, its guards' active threat response, and the college's emergency notification system.

It was interesting, to say the least'

About 15 students from Georgian's Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training and Protection, Security and Investigation programs also volunteered for the exercise as simulated victims, with prosthetic injury makeup supplied by St. John Ambulance.

"It was interesting, to say the least," said Jessica Ayers, a Protection, Security and Investigation student, who volunteered for the casualty simulation. "It's really great to see how everyone comes to work together, how these processes work, and be involved in the community."

Participating organizations include Georgian, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services, OPP, Orillia Fire Department and St. John Ambulance.

The training exercise was an "excellent opportunity for all organizations to collaborate" and provided valuable training in a real-life setting, said Dave Truax, Executive Director, Campus Safety Services, Georgian College.

Georgian doesn't operate in a silo; our partners are key to helping us deliver a safe and secure learning environment in our seven campus communities. This is just one example of how community partners can come together for educational opportunities, emergency preparedness, relationship building and public safety.

- Dave Truax

Members of five different organizations took part in the training exercise.

Georgian students volunteer to portray victims in training exercise

Tobi Adeosun, a Protection, Security and Investigation student, said she volunteered to play a victim during the exercise to complement what she's learning in class.

"We're learning about emergency response, so it's cool seeing the OPP respond and to learn about all the elements that come together for that," she said.

"It was a really great opportunity for us to see how triage works," added Myshel Enderlein, a Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training student. "Getting to participate in it was eye-opening."

Andrew Whyte, a Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training student, also volunteered to portray a casualty during the exercise.

"Seeing how the police and paramedics deal with the situation was impressive, quite the rush," he said. "It's a great thing these groups are doing this and practicing. It felt like the real deal."