(BOP) - Staff at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Petersburg, Virginia partnered with first responders from Fort Lee, the neighboring military base, to strengthen law enforcement coordination and response in the event of an emergency.
The partnership involved a mock training exercise where multiple, serious injuries were reported as a result of an accident by an inmate transport vehicle. Each person was tagged with a card describing the extent of their injuries so the first responders could accurately survey the scene. The exercise allowed correctional officers, and other institution staff, to practice response procedures for catastrophic events. Fort Lee staff assisted with the more serious injuries and provided transportation to emergency medical facilities. The joint training event helped strengthen the relationship and partnership with relevant local emergency response teams who would be called upon to assist with casualty evacuation and incident mitigation in the event of a real emergency.
FCC Petersburg Warden Eric D. Wilson commented, "This has been a great joint training exercise that benefits both the Fort Lee military installation and the Bureau, and I look forward to more training opportunities in the future."