By Meghan McCormick
Police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances swarmed the U.S. Postal Service National Center for Employee Development Wednesday morning on State Highway 9.
There was no emergency. Instead, emergency responders from Cleveland County participated in an emergency preparedness exercise.
Norman Police Lt. George Mauldin, venue lead for Wednesday's exercise, said in the scenario, armed gunmen stormed the federal building, killed a guard and took others hostage inside a second floor conference room. Similar scenarios also were scheduled Wednesday in Edmond and Oklahoma City.
"The scenario ties them together as an overall terror attack," Mauldin said.
The three-hour exercise began about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"A group of armed men came to the gate, shot the guard, took his keys, and they entered the building and began shooting up the place," Mauldin said.
He said in the drill, the guard was able to alert staff members by a hand-held radio about the attack, before he succumbed to his injuries. The gunmen also injured six people.
"Police responded and did an active shooter response," Mauldin said. "The initial response had patrol from the Norman Police Department, OU and Cleveland County Sheriff's Office."
Mauldin said as the scenario progressed, officers cleared the building. Soon, the Norman Police Department SWAT team arrived.
"The bad guys retreated and took some hostages with them," he said. "Negotiations were in place and in progress."
SWAT officers, negotiators, firefighters and emergency medical workers staged near a second floor hallway during the exercise. A command post was set up at CrossPointe Church, located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and 24th Ave SE.
Norman Fire Deputy Chief Jim Bailey said 12 fire personnel took part in the Homeland Security training drill.
"It's an active shooter scenario," Bailey said.
He said the program was a simultaneous exercise for police, firefighters and emergency medical services. Firefighters were stationed nearby to care for the wounded.
"If we have injured people, we will take care of them," Bailey said.
Mauldin said each role player was given a script to use in the training session.
"The hostage takers have made some demands," he said.
Mauldin said a lock-in exercise also was in place Wednesday for those at the postal training facility. Students and faculty were instructed to stay in the classrooms and lock the doors.
He said evaluators took notes Wednesday at the exercise.
"Everything that is going on will be evaluated," Mauldin said.
He said these types of drills occur annually, but with different scenarios. Once Wednesday's exercise concluded, everybody involved would evaluate response time and techniques used.
"They will discuss pros and cons and what could be done better," he said.
The exercise came to a conclusion when suspects shot two hostages and SWAT officers entered the conference room and killed the suspects.
Norman Police Department, University of Oklahoma Police Department, EMSStat, Cleveland County Sheriff's Department and Norman Fire Department all participated in the emergency exercise.
Meghan McCormick 366-3539 mmccormick@normantranscript.com
