SHERIFF'S OFFICE CONDUCTS ACTIVE SHOOTER EXERCISE AT ALDERETE MIDDLE SCHOOL
3850 Justice Dr. El Paso, Texas 79938 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Direct: (915) 538-2223
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)
Release Date & Time: Wednesday, NOVEMBER 19, 2008 1:15 PM
WHO: EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (UPPER VALLEY PATROL / COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTION / SWAT)
WHAT: ACTIVE SHOOTER EXERCISE AT ALDERETE MIDDLE SCHOOL
WHERE: ALDERETE MIDDLE SCHOOL - 801 TALBOT CANUTILLO, TX
WHEN: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008 9:00 AM
WHY: ACTIVE SHOOTER EXERCISE
CANUTILLO, TX- TUESDAY MORNING 11-18-08 AT 9:00 AM, THE EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN COORDINATION WITH THE CANUTILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT HELD AN "ACTIVE SHOOTER" EXERCISE AT ALDERETE MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCATED AT 801 TABOT, CANUTILLO, TX.
DEPUTIES FROM THE PATROL & COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTION PARTICIPATED IN THE EXERCISE.
SWAT OFFICERS, ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE EXERCISE WERE USED AS ROLE PLAYERS, SAFETY OFFICERS, AND ON SITE QUALITY CONTROL.
THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS OPERATION WAS:
- TO TEST THE OPERATIONAL READINESS OF THE RESPONDING OFFICERS.
- TO TEST THE SCHOOL’S RECOGNITION OF WHEN TO ACTIVATE A “CODE BLUE”.
LETTERS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SENT OUT TO PARENTS & SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ASSISTED WITH THE EVALUATION OF THE LOCKDOWN -"CODE BLUE".
ROLE PLAYERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO ENTER THE SCHOOL AND WALK AROUND TO SEE IF ANY TEACHER OR EMPLOYEE WOULD CHALLENGE THEM ON WHAT THEY WERE DOING THERE. ONCE DEEMED A SECUITY RISK, A "CODE BLUE SIGNAL" WAS CALLED BY STAFF.
STUDENTS WERE ALSO USED AS ROLE PLAYERS.
THE RESPONDING DEPUTIES DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS AN EXERCISE UNTIL THEY ARRIVED. FEEDBACK FROM THE EXERCISE WAS VERY POSTITIVE, AS IT PROMPTED TEAMWORK FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICERS AND SHIFT PATROL OFFICERS. BOTH ARE TRUE FIRST RESPONDERS TO ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS AND SUCH TRAINING REINFORCES THEIR ACTIONS. OFFICERS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN RECOGNIZING THE INCIDENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE.
THIS WAS UNLIKE OTHER TRAINING EXERCISES AS THE MEDIA, RESPONDING DEPUTIES & MOST SCHOOL EMPLOYEES DID NOT KNOW HOW & WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE. THIS WAS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS EXERCISE GIVING IT A "REAL WORLD" TYPE FEEL.
THIS IS THE FIRST EXERCISE OF ITS KIND IN EL PASO, AND WAS COPIED FROM A SIMILAR EXERCISE IN ABILENE TEXAS.
"THIS OPERATION WAS DEEMED VERY SUCCESSFUL AS THESE EXERCISES REINFORCE OPERATIONAL READINESS FOR PATROL OFFICERS, WHO ARE CRITICAL IN MITIGATING THESE INCIDENTS. I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF & STUDENTS AT ALDERETE MIDDLE SCHOOL & THE MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT"- SAID SHERIFF JIMMY APODACA
(PHOTOS OF EXERCISE BELOW COURTESY EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)
END OF NEWS RELEASE 
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.