On Saturday May 10, multiple public safety agencies converged at Polk County Middle School to train for a emergency situation.
The purpose was not to respond to a critical  incident, but to prepare, local agencies said.
“I am extremely pleased that our agencies can get together to plan, prepare and train together. When something happens and you look to your left and to the right, these are the men and women that we will be working closely with,” said Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill.
Law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, fire, rescue and Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA) participated in a fictitious response to a school violence incident.
The areas that were specifically trained in were inter-agency training and equipment capabilities, search and rescue, forcible entry, school bus situations, room clearing and incorporating fire and EMS with law enforcement response teams.
“It is refreshing that our small county is doing what needs to be done to train for any critical incident that arises. It was our pleasure to train with our fire, rescue and law enforcement colleagues; we learned so much. Any and all training makes us better in dealing with the unthinkable,” said Michael Crater, Polk County EMS Director.
Sgt. Christopher Byers with the sheriff’s office said training is crucial to the job officers do.
“Our training is a crucial part of the job we do,” Byers said. “Everyone learned from each other and took valuable experience from it. That was the intended purpose.”
Agencies who participated in the training included:
·      Isothermal Community College (instructors and logistics)
·    Polk County Sheriffs Office
·    Polk County Emergency Medical Services
·    Polk County Emergency
Management
·    Columbus Fire Department
·    Mill Spring Fire Department
·    Green Creek Fire Department
·      Sunny View Fire Department
·      North Carolina State
Highway Patrol
·     North Carolina Wildlife
·     Spartanburg Regional Healthcare Systems Special Response Unit
·     Landrum Rescue 11
·     Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA)
Students and staff also assisted in the training from Polk County High School, Polk County Middle School, Chase High School and Boiling Springs Elementary School.

– article submitted
by Christopher Byers