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Emergency Response Training to
take place at Lincoln Junior High
[October 10, 2025]
On October 10, the Lincoln Police Department will join forces with
multiple emergency response agencies to conduct a large-scale
training exercise at Lincoln Junior High School. The building will
be empty that day, allowing first responders and school staff to
practice coordinated emergency procedures without the presence of
students.
Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister said the event will simulate a
“major incident” requiring a multi-agency response.
“We’re going to do a scenario-based training that will involve a
multi-agency response to a large-scale major incident,” he
explained. “School incidents are prevalent in the country right now,
so it’s a good opportunity to practice managing that response in the
most efficient manner that we can.”
Participating groups include the Lincoln Police Department, the
Logan County Sheriff’s Department, the Lincoln Fire Department, and
the Logan County Paramedics Association.
“All the agencies that you would see respond to a major incident are
going to be represented there,” Meister said.
While the police department has trained for active threats in
schools before, this will be the first time Lincoln has conducted a
live scenario involving multiple agencies and school staff.
“For me, this is the first time that Lincoln has done this as a live
scenario,” Meister said. “We have trained in the schools before, but
it hasn’t involved all the agencies that are going to be represented
there on Friday.”
Meister emphasized that the school will be empty during the
exercise. “The students aren’t going to be in house that day,” he
said. “It’s only going to be school staff and then first
responders.”
He added that he understands the training may cause some concern
among residents, but preparation is essential.
“I know it can be uncomfortable for them to think about why we have
to train for an incident like this, but it’s better to be
uncomfortable and prepared than it is for us to be unprepared and
comfortable,” he said
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According to Meister, the exercise will not only strengthen
collaboration between emergency services but also benefit school
staff by providing practical experience. “It’s going to give the
school real-world training practice and what their role will be
during and after a major incident,” he said.
“They may not have had any training like this that is a live
scenario in the past, and that can be invaluable training for if
or when an event happens of this nature.”
Meister called the training “invaluable” for everyone involved.
“Training is the key to success in a stressful environment,” he
said. “It will better prepare us to work together to make the
response and hopefully the overall outcome of the event the best
it possibly can.”
He compared the process to developing muscle memory. “The more
you train, the less questions you may have during an event,”
Meister said. “You can prepare yourself for how you may respond
to stress—practice makes perfect, I guess, is the short answer.”
Ultimately, Meister hopes the training reassures the public that
Lincoln’s first responders are committed to readiness.
“The whole purpose of the event is to plan, practice and prepare
for a major incident so that all of the agencies responding
provide the best possible service to the people that we
protect.”
[Sophia Larimore]
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