A training exercise next month will help county and local officials prepare for how to handle the aftermath of the unthinkable.

On Tuesday, March 6th, a simulation will be held on how to react after an active shooter situation at Brighton High School. With the events last week in Florida, where 17 students and teachers were gunned down during school, officials say they are aware of how sensitive an issue this is. However, they nonetheless need to be prepared for what everyone hopes will never happen here.

Therese Cremonte is Livingston County’s Emergency Manager and will be coordinating the exercise, which will actually take place at Maltby Intermediate School on Bauer Road between 10am and 2pm that day. She says they have actually been planning this since last year, but the events of the last week make it even more clear how important it is to be prepared.

The scenario on March 6th will deal with what happens after the shooter has been neutralized and officials will need to reunite kids with their parents and arrange for how to handle the media. "We know that if a large disaster or event, especially an active assailant were to take place in Livingston County in one of our schools, the media would immediately flock to the area and we need to have a plan to be able to work with our media so they can get messages out and they can let us know what information is needed by the public."

Cremonte says the public will see fire and police rescue vehicles in and around Maltby and Mt. Brighton on March 6th, and they’re hoping to alleviate as much of the potential concerns and misunderstandings by thoroughly publicizing the training exercise in advance.

That day is a “Records Day” in the Brighton district in which only students in 7th through 12th grades will be in attendance, leaving Maltby, which hosts 5th and 6th graders, available for the exercise. (JK)