CHEEKTOWAGA – An active shooter drill will be held at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Saturday, September 29, 2018, and the Transit Authority Police Department is seeking volunteers to help put on the exercise.
The police department is looking to utilize 300-400 volunteers. They say they role as a volunteer will be to act as a regular traveler within certain areas of the airport. A select number of interested volunteers will also be needed to play the role of injured victims.
One of the primary purposes of this drill is to test the response of various law enforcement agencies in a possible active shooter situation and to see how fire and EMS personnel interact with law enforcement during such an event.
Interested volunteers need to fill out both an Active Shooter Drill Volunteer Registration Form and a Participation Release and Waiver. Both need to be submitted to Jeanette Buffamonti via email jeanette_Buffamonti@nfta.com no later than Friday, September 7th.
The exercise will run overnight, beginning at 10:00 pm and running until approximately 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 30, 2018.
Volunteers will be asked to arrive at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport Firehouse, located at 120 Amherst Villa Road in Cheektowaga, between 9:15 pm and 10:00 pm depending on what group you’re in. Upon arrival volunteers will check-in and be given a wristband that will correlate with an assigned area within the airport.
All volunteers will be transported to the airport by bus shortly after check-in. The drill is estimated to start around 12:30 a.m. When the drill concludes, volunteers will be transported back to the firehouse.
All volunteers must be available for the entirety of this exercise. Because of the nature of this exercise, volunteers must be at least 14 years old. Volunteers who are between the ages of 14-17 must be accompanied by a parent or have a signed parent release form.
High school or college students who have a school that is willing to accept this exercise as a community service, you will be provided a certificate of participation.