Authorities train for active shooter, hostage scenarios at Glendale Community College

Several public safety agencies joined Glendale Community College police on Wednesday to practice a series of emergency response scenarios, including an active shooter and hostage crisis on campus.

One mock scenario involved a shooter who took a teacher hostage and shot several students in two classrooms, Glendale Police Lt. Brian Cohen said. Police then cleared and secured the classrooms while crisis negotiators talked to the mock shooter.

The second scenario, he said, included a man who took someone hostage and was threatening to jump off a building. A third situation involved the use of a robot in another hostage incident.

The drill is an annual training event for public safety personnel and requires months of planning, Cohen said.

While police planned the drill in advance of the shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school — where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults — “the reason why we are doing it is because of incidents like that,” Cohen said.

Glendale police officials said their drills were secured and closed off for public viewing, but students could still access services and programs on campus.

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