In an effort to keep the community safe, Mission Viejo Police Services and Mission Hospital joined forces today to conduct a terrorism preparedness exercise.
The annual statewide “Golden Guardian” exercise, sponsored by the California Office of Homeland Security, is used to coordinate prevention, preparation, response and recovery mechanisms of city, county and state governmental entities; private sector; and volunteer organizations. The exercise’s goal is to build upon the lessons learned from this and ensuing exercises conducted throughout the nation along with real-world events.
Hospital, Police Services, and Orange Fire Authority personnel met over the past four weeks to set up the training scenario, which included a terrorist shooting in the emergency room and hostage situation in a separate area of the facility. Two sections of the hospital were sectioned off for the training event and no real weapons were used.
“The goal is to be prepared and develop good lines of communication between the involved entities in the event that a major terrorist incident takes place at the hospital,” said Lt. Mike Gavin, Chief of Police Services.
Similar training exercises are taking place throughout the state this week, including Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and Kaiser Hospital in Anaheim.
