Thursday it involved faith organizations, but the training police and fire personnel participated in throughout the day was preparing agencies for any number of scenarios that could put community members in harm’s way.
“It could be anywhere, it could be Ralph’s, it could be a shopping mall,” Orange County Sheriff’s Commander Mike Peters said, “the same fundamental aspects are what we need to train into our personnel. It doesn’t matter the location.”
With training weapons drawn, law enforcement officers make their way through the parking lot to the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An actor and victim hides behind a desk in a room just prior to the terrorist attack exercise held at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The exercise was hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As an evaluator looks on, law enforcement officers with training weapons drawn, surround the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An actor and victim get makeup applied just prior to the terrorist attack exercise held at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The exercise was hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Law enforcement officers with training weapons drawn, make their way into the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo, as victims leave the building during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With training weapons drawn, law enforcement officers surround the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A sign hangs on a door just during the terrorist attack exercise held at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The exercise was hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An Orange County Sheriff’s helicopter circles over the terrorist attack exercise held at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The exercise was hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Law enforcement officers with training weapons drawn, stand over a wounded shooter at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As an evaluator looks on at right, a law enforcement officer fires a training weapon at a shooter at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments host a coordinated terrorist attack exercise to evaluate operational coordination and communication between multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange County Sheriff’s Commander Mike Peters in charge of the Special Operations Division talks about the terrorist attack exercise held at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The exercise was hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As an evaluator looks on at left, a law enforcement officer tends to a wounded victim/actor at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ten public safety agencies participate in a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A law enforcement officer fires a training weapon at a shooter at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fire department personel bring a wounded victim/actor out of the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As an evaluator looks on at right, a law enforcement officer fires a training weapon at a shooter at the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo during a terrorist attack exercise hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s and Irvine Police departments on Thursday, August 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Thursday, the realistic training hosted by the Sheriff’s Department and Irvine Police Department took place simultaneously at the Orange County Islamic Foundation building in Mission Viejo and Mariners Church in Irvine. The exercise was based on a scenario of “homegrown violent extremists” planning coordinated attacks at two local houses of faith.
In Mission Viejo, responders approached the building as multiple “shooters” fire upon them, an Orange County Sheriff’s helicopter circling overhead. In Irvine, there was a hostage situation that included possible bombs.
“We do a lot of active shooter training within our own department,” Peters said, “but when we get a chance to work with interoperability among multiple agencies that would be responding to a big incident, (when) we get the opportunity we try and jump on it and work as team.”
Some 100 law enforcement personnel from 10 public safety agencies in Orange County participated – 40 volunteer actors added to the realism. The exercise was paid for by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Urban Area Security Initiative.
“Once you stop trying to learn on anything, whether, it’s a large-scale training like this or whether it’s a real incident,” Peters said, “that’s when bad things happen.”
