The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority will hold an active shooter exercise at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Friday to test response protocols put in place to secure the BCEC, which is the largest building in New England.
Rob Noonan, the MCCA’s chief information and security officer, said in an emailed statement the drill, titled Operation Vanguard, will bring together local, state and federal law enforcement and emergency agencies in an “interactive live simulation of a terror attack.”
“The exercise has been in development for more than two years and required cross agency collaboration to develop a unique set of protocols in response to an event at the venue,” Noonan said.
Agencies involved in creating the BCEC’s active shooter response plan include the Boston Police and Fire departments, Boston Emergency Medical Services, Massport, the Massachusetts State Police, the MBTA, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, according to an MCCA press release.
David Gibbons, executive director of the MCCA, said in the release the exercise will strengthen ties between law enforcement and emergency response organizations.
“Beyond the obvious benefits of training in a live action environment,” Gibbons said, “the long term impact of working with and among all of our public safety partners are the professional contacts and personal relationships that are so vital when emergency situations arise.”
Last November, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order creating a task force to reevaluate public safety preparedness in large venues in the state such as stadiums, concert halls and conventions centers. According to the release, Operation Vanguard is the first full-scale safety exercise to be held at a large venue since the order was signed.
Noonan said information gathered from the exercise will not only be used to improve the MCCA’s own emergency protocols, but will also be shared with other venues across the state to decrease public safety risks.
“The exercise will establish best practices that the MCCA will not only share as part of Massachusetts’ Large Venue Task Force but also with industry partners,” Noonan said, “many who will be in attendance, that face similar challenges to ensure their respective venues are both accessible and secure.”
Noonan added the nature of the hospitality business meant the exercise would be particularly challenging, requiring comprehensive teamwork among all those involved.
“Our buildings are designed to be open and welcoming. The challenge is to deliver a great customer experience while maintaining a strong security posture,” Noonan said. “We do it with a combination of technology and manpower that heavily depends on our relationships with our law enforcement and public safety partners.”
The BCEC is located in the Seaport neighborhood on Summer Street. Because the exercise will simulate the attack and a response in real time, the MCCA stated in the release there would be “significant activity” around the convention center Friday.
Harry Boone, 27, of Allston, said he thinks the security exercise is a good idea.
“They cut a good balance between not becoming a police state and keeping people in line,” Boone said. “I don’t really have an issue with it.”
Julia Dexter, 24, of Brighton, said while she thinks police definitely have a large presence at public events, she is unsure if they are prepared to handle a live shooter.
“I also don’t know what their techniques are and what they’re training has been,” Dexter said. “But based on my personal experience, I don’t know if they’re equipped to handle something like that.”
