Georgia Perimeter Will Test Emergency Response Wednesday

If you hear gunfire or explosions coming from the Georgia Perimeter College Campus in Dunwoody Wednesday, don't worry – this is just a test.

Wednesday, the school's emergency response preparedness team will be running through tests, which will include simulated ammunition and explosions, according to a school press release.

The test will run for about an hour and a half and start at 11 a.m.

“This will be a test of our emergency response capabilities; however, there are realistic components to it,” said GPC President Anthony S. Tricoli, in a press release. “Please know that no real ammunition or explosives will be used in this simulation. The safety of our faculty, staff and students is essential during these exercises.”

According to the school, the campus will have yellow crime scene tape and will have several teams of public safety personnel and emergency responders on Wednesday.

Public Safety Chief Nicholas Marinelli, who oversees safety for all six GPC campuses, said the drill is intended to train for the worst.

“The bottom line is that we have to practice responses to whatever, whether it be an act of God or an act of man,” he said.

Marinelli said that the campus did a similar training two years ago, which simulated a live shooter being on campus. In that drill, the campus worked with the Dunwoody Police Department.

In this drill, the campus first responders will be assisted by members of DeKalb County’s Bomb Unit

The campus knows a drill is coming, he said, but haven’t been given details, as to gauge their response and reaction.

“The bottom line is that you play the way you practice,” Marinelli said.

The purpose is to prepare for the worst.

“The only way to ensure that we are ready and capable to respond is to simulate a worst case scenario, respond with appropriate action and evaluate the exercise with a thorough, after-action review,” Tricoli said, in the release. “At no time during this exercise will GPC personnel, students or the community be exposed to danger.”

The Dunwoody Campus will be cordoned off to include critical areas such as Triage, Safe Zones, Public Information and media, according to the release.

Marinelli said the intent is to try to train, while not getting in the way of too much.

“Summer classes are very, very thin,” he said. “We try to do it and disrupt as few as possible.”