Baylor DPS Hosts Annual Joint Active Threat Training Exercise with Multiple Law Enforcement Agencies

May 22, 2024
Aerial view of Pat Neff Hall and Old Main skyline, Baylor University campus

Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-327-8012
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia

WACO, Texas (May 22, 2024) - On Thursday, May 23, 2024, the Baylor University Department of Public Safety (BUDPS) and its branches, including the Baylor University Police Department (BUPD), along with 13 other local and federal law enforcement partners and emergency responders, will conduct an annual joint active threat training exercise on the Baylor campus in and around the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

The exercise is scheduled to start at 6:30 a.m. and conclude at approximately 1 p.m. and will involve multiple law enforcement, fire and medical vehicles and around 150 personnel. A safety perimeter, including signage and staffed by security personnel, will be in place in the area, indicating police training is in progress. Baylor DPS asks people to avoid this area on Thursday.

Emergency vehicles will not use flashing lights or sirens, and drivers will obey all speed limits and traffic signs. In addition, mock victims will be transported to ambulances that will stay within the safety perimeter.

This joint training exercise will provide simulated training for multiple organizations to work collaboratively in an active threat incident. This training will further strengthen local emergency services coordination and response to an active threat should one occur on the Baylor University campus or other locations in the greater Waco area. 

Participating agencies include the branches of the Baylor University Department of Public Safety, Waco Police Department, Waco Fire Department, McLennan County Sheriff's Office, Hewitt Police Department, Hewitt Fire Department, Lorena Police Department, McLennan Community College Police Department, Bellmead Fire Department, Woodway Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, American Medical Response and Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.