Police in North Bay practise emergency scenarios at the hospital

North Bay Police officers are continuing to practise and enhance their emergency response training.

The unit reviews different scenarios several times each year. Using skills and tactics, they work as a team to respond to all manner of high-risk situations.

Recently the team completed an emergency response training at the hospital.

Acting Sgt. Stacy Jackson said being prepared is essential.

“The more officers we have that are trained in emergency response, the better it is when we have fresh officers going to a scene," Jackson said.

Recently, officers practised responding to a ‘code silver,’ which involves someone breaking into a secure area of the North Bay Regional Health Centre with a knife and begins attacking people.

“Everybody else in the hospital, they meet on the units or in their departments and they talk about what their response would be in an actual code silver," said the hospital’s Eileen Benedictus.

In full uniform and armed with unloaded long rifles, the unit is dispatched and quickly establishes a command post.

Recently, North Bay police practised responding to a ‘code silver,’ which involves someone breaking into a secure area of the North Bay Regional Health Centre with a knife and begins attacking people. (Photo from video)

Officers go to different sections of the hospital using special tactics before locating a ‘suspect’ and making the arrest.

“We would have a designated team leader for the emergency response team,” Jackson said.

“They would essentially gather intel from victims of witnesses of the incident."

At the same time, hospital staff and security go over their own protocol and what they do to help in such a situation.

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The unit collaborates with the hospital because of its large scale and the amount of people that go in and out each day.

"In an actual situation, the hospital is divided into zones so they would respond accordingly depending on their location," Benedictus said.

Made up of 12 part-time police officers and one sergeant, the officers receive training to effectively respond to all manner of high-risk incidents 10 times each year.

“We do five days in May where we do a full week of training with our team and we usually partner up with the Peel Regional tactical team," Jackson said.

The goal is ensuring they're prepared for anything that might come their way.