BY JENN McDOWELL

A large-scale emergency exercise went off successfully in Allenstown on Saturday, Oct. 20, starting at 9 a.m.

The concept was to test 150 first responders from Allenstown and all of their backup agencies, including police and firefighters from Hooksett, Epsom, Pembroke, Chichester, Loudon and Bow, plus the National Guard, Tri-Town Ambulance, and the sheriff’s departments from Merrimack and Rockingham counties.

Allenstown Police Chief Shaun Mulholland and the town’s emergency director, Jane Hubbard of Hubbard Consultations LLC, began organizing the simulated terrorist situation more than a year
ago.

Roads in the immediate area of Allenstown Elementary, where the exercise was staged,  were closed for several hours to allow responders uninhibited access to the school.

The scenario for the exercise focused on a parent, angry about taxes and the school budget,  shooting students and faculty at the school and  then detonating a bomb strapped to his chest.

It is set on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, at 9 a.m., and the shooter enters the building and immediately opens fire, killing two staff members in the main office. The principal called 911 to report the shooting, and Bow and Capital Dispatch set about getting police officers to the scene.

The perimeter and building had to be secured, the children evacuated and the wounded prioritized for the paramedics according to the extent of their “injuries.”

Police secured the second floor and saw the “suspect” in the library. The “bomb,” really a smoke bomb, went off with an ear-shattering bang and a plume of smoke at around 9:35 a.m.

After that, first responders were charged with getting the four “hostages” out of the building and securing the “shooter.”

“Victims” carried out of the school during the operation were limp and lifeless, and covered with “blood.”

Photos taken inside the building show a chaotic scene of low visibility and high stress. Voices carrying anxiety and confusion spilled out of the police scanner of Merrimack County Sheriff Scott Hilliard, who was positioned outside with observers.

“Could you imagine trying to make decisions in there? That’s about as real as it gets,” Hilliard said.
A command center was established to organize and plan the actions taken, and also to account for the students.

Selectmen’s secretary Kelley Collins gave a comprehensive “press conference,” which included actors playing the parts of reporters.

By all accounts, the exercise went on schedule and with few snafus along the way.

Mulholland  said he is happy with the way it was handled, although there will always be some errors, even in a real situation.

“It’s managing the madness, is what it is. You’re talking about a very complex task. You’re never going to get a 100 percent solution,” he said.

He added that the entry into the school needs to be quicker.

Butch Burbank of the Local Government Center, the town’s    liability and health insurer, said they did a training program with the Allenstown police a few weeks ago, testing the officers’ response to shooting situations.

“The officers at the time didn’t know it, but it was to prepare them for today,” Burbank said.

Local Government Center staff members played victims in the exercise, and will make some suggestions for improvement. Overall, Burbank said, the responders performed well under the extreme pressure and anxiety produced by the smoky, ear  piercing, chaotic scene inside the school.

“Logistically, there’s a lot of moving parts we have to coordinate. I think the officers going in were disoriented,” he said.

Boy Scout troops from Allenstown and Candia, as well as other volunteers, participated in the exercise playing the victims.

Troop 120 from Candia got one step closer to their Emergency Preparation merit badges, which are required to gain the status of Eagle Scout.

“If you’re ever in an emergency situation, you want to be with these boys,” said Scout Leader Jim Hawes.

Hubbard said processing sessions with the actors, responders, planners, and key observers produced informative  feedback.

“I think it went really well. The reason why we have exercises is so people can learn things,” she said.

Albert Dionne, Emergency Management Director for Hooksett said most of the mistakes he saw as an observer were minor and resulted from general disorientation, which would happen in a real situation.

“Most of them corrected themselves. No one took a turn out of play,” he said.

Roger and Sharon Bernard, who live directly across the street from the school, graciously let officers, organizers and spectators use their yard as an observation post.

“It was pretty exciting when they were running around with their machine guns,” said Sharon Bernard, adding that the simulation was extremely realistic.

Residents Elaine Wright, Kristie Devlin and Core Clemmer, who live a block down, also came out to watch the events unfold, impressed at how seriously responders took their duties.

“It’s good that they’re doing it to get themselves prepared,” Devlin said.

Mulholland said they are already planning another full scale for next  year and have received word from Homeland Security that they will get funding for it.