Charles Town, WV - In a first-of-its-kind exercise for Jefferson County Schools, our community partners, law enforcement, and hospitals came together on April 22, 2026, to test the community’s emergency preparedness through a full-scale active event simulation.
THE SCENARIO
At approximately 9:12 AM, a call came into the Jefferson County 911 Communications Center reporting an active shooter at Wildwood Middle School. What followed was a coordinated, multi-agency response that activated protocols across law enforcement, emergency medical services, school administration, and family reunification systems simultaneously.
Participants portraying injured individuals were transported to WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center, where medical response teams practiced triage and treatment protocols. Concurrently, students and families were reunited at Sam Michaels Park using the I Love You Guys Foundation’s Standard Reunification Method.
Following the evacuation of students and staff, West Virginia State Police took over the school to begin processing with their crime-scene units.
A unified incident command was set up at Sam Michaels Park, with all agency heads to share information and ensure that all organizations are working together.
WHY THIS EXERCISE MATTERS
Multi-agency exercises at this scale allow first responders, school administrators, medical personnel, and community partners to identify coordination gaps before a real emergency occurs. Today’s exercise was designed not to simulate fear, but to build confidence, ensuring that every agency and every family knows what to expect when it matters most. It also highlights how all organizations in Jefferson County work together to take care of our shared community.
Dr. Bishop - Superintendent, Jefferson County Schools
"As a community and as parents, this kind of scenario is our worst nightmare," said Dr. Chuck Bishop, Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools. "Being prepared is our best defense. Just like putting on a seatbelt every time you get in a car, practicing preparedness is the best way we know how to keep everyone safe."
Sheriff Hansen - Sheriff, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Hansen of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department said, “All in all, today was a great practice event for all of our organizations. We had some areas of great strength and identified areas for improvement. Our goal is to continually improve to make sure we keep all of our students safe.”
Nicole Dollison - CEO, WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center
“Participating in this drill alongside our community partners allows us to strengthen collaboration, build trust, and reinforce confidence in how we work together in real-life situations,” said Nicole Dollison, CEO WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center. “These shared efforts help ensure our community is supported by care teams who are ready, aligned, and prepared to act.”
Jennifer Myers - Director, Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Commission
“Our parks are where the community comes together every day, and in an emergency, they serve that same purpose in a different way,” says Jennifer Myers, Director of Jefferson County Parks and Recreation. “We hope a reunification like this is never needed, but this kind of exercise helps us work through our role and stay coordinated with Jefferson County Schools and our local first responders. We’re proud to provide a safe, organized place for families to come back together.”
Jeff Cisar, Ranson Police Chief
Chief of Police for Ranson Police, Jeff Cisar said “ We want to thank the schools, students, and parents because we cannot run these kinds of drills without their support and participation. This is just the first step toward making sure we are prepared and can keep everyone safe. We will take these lessons and learn, and then try again in a few years to see what improvements we made.”
WHAT’S NEXT
In the coming weeks, all of the involved agencies will meet to discuss key takeaways from the event and identify areas of success and improvement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh Office, will host information-sharing meetings with all involved organizations to create a report and help Jefferson County improve its active emergency response.
EXERCISE PARTNERS
The following agencies and organizations participated in today’s exercise:
Jefferson County Schools
Jefferson County Sheriff's Department
Jefferson County Emergency Communications
WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center
West Virginia State Police
Ranson Police Department
Charles Town Police Department
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Jefferson County Emergency Services
Jefferson County Emergency Management