Police, fire train in Elgin terrorism drill

ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) -- Police officers and firefighters took part Friday in a federally-funded drill to practice responding to domestic terror events in Elgin. Authorities in both the local and federal levels were involved.

While the drill was planned more than three months ago, the timing couldn't be more current after Thursday's mass shooting at an Oregon college.

"It's completely comparable. Everything we are doing today would be used in an active shooter drill. If you look at the situation in Columbine, it was an active and it involved explosives. It involved fire. It involved multiple people injured. So this event here, even though it's not an active shooter drill, it has all the same disciplines we would use," Batavia Fire Chief Randy Banker said.

During Friday's drill, 30 patients were transported.

Several agencies, including dozens of fire and police departments, were involved. The drill tests one of the key elements in responding to an event of this size: communication.

"We have social media paths already in place so it's a manner of how are we using them to the best of our ability? How are we getting that information out? where can people go for information?" said Kristine Rogowski, of the city of Elgin.

Two hundred people took part in the two-day drill.