Baylor University Department of Public Safety Hosts Active Threat Training Exercise with Local Law Enforcement

WACO, Texas (May 24, 2022) - On Wednesday, May 25, 2022, the Baylor University Department of Public Safety (BUDPS), in conjunction with the Baylor University Police Department (BUPD) and nine other local and federal law enforcement partners, will conduct a joint active threat training exercise in and around Kokernot Hall on the Baylor campus.

Here is what you need to know:

• Because of Kokernot’s location along the northbound I-35 frontage road, we want you to be informed of this activity so you will not be alarmed and can help mitigate any false understanding or misinterpretation of the training exercise as an actual emergency.

• The exercise is scheduled to start at 6:30 a.m. and conclude at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. A safety perimeter, including signage, will be in place in the area indicating police training in progress. Please avoid this area tomorrow.

• Multiple law enforcement and emergency vehicles will be on campus (approximately 25 to 50), but they will NOT use flashing lights or sirens and will obey all speed limits and traffic signs.

• Before the exercise begins, BUPD will close MP Daniel Esplanade between 7^th and 8^th Streets.

• During the exercise, there will be movement of vehicles and personnel on the roadways starting at the 8^th Street Parking Garage, Collins Hall parking lot and in/around Kokernot Hall.

• In addition to law enforcement personnel in the area, mock victims will be transported by ambulance – without flashing lights and sirens and obeying all traffic laws – to a staging area away from campus.

This joint training exercise will provide simulated training for multiple organizations to work collaboratively in an active threat incident. This training will further strengthen local emergency services coordination and response to an active threat should one occur on the Baylor University campus or other locations in the greater Waco area.

Participants include Baylor University Department of Public Safety, Baylor University Police Department, Waco Police Department, Waco Fire Department, McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, American Medical Response, Hewitt Police Department, McLennan Community College Police Department, Woodway Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.