Hello,

Wenatchee Valley College would like to notify you of an emergency training exercise on Friday, June 23, 2023. You may hear and see police, firetrucks, ambulances, and a helicopter on the college campus from around 8 a.m. to about noon on Friday, June 23. Please do not be alarmed, as this is part of the drill.

The drill will take place mostly on the north side of campus and parking and sidewalk access may be affected on Ninth Street between Nelson Avenue and the softball field. Driving traffic should not be affected. Below is more information about the drill.

What does the training exercise entail and why are we doing it?

WVC is partnering with Confluence Health, Wenatchee School District, Wenatchee Valley Fire Department, Wenatchee Police Department, and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and other regional fire, police, and EMS agencies, for a safety training exercise. Members from all these agencies will be on campus, responding to a simulated emergency – which will feature many volunteer actors who will act as they would during an emergency and may be wearing makeup depicting realistic-looking injuries. This exercise will allow the college and the other participants to be better prepared in case of a real emergency.

What will you see or hear?

The most important thing to remember is that everything happening on Friday morning is part of a drill and not a real emergency. That said, if you are on or around campus you may see and hear:

• Emergency response vehicles (police cars, ambulances, firetrucks, etc.)
• Increased security around the exercise area (police and campus security around Sexton Hall)
• Loud noises from simulated gunshots – no real weapons will be fired during the drill.
• Shouting and/or police or others giving commands – if you are near campus on Ninth St., you may hear people shouting or giving instructions. This is a part of the drill.
• People simulating injuries – you may see volunteer actors with makeup depicting injuries, or people being treated or transported by emergency responders. People may be carried to ambulances or the helicopter. This is part of the drill, and those people are not injured.
• A helicopter is scheduled to land on the grassy areas near the campus gym – volunteers will be there to ensure it lands and takes off safely.

Receive emergency alerts from the college

If you are interested in receiving notifications about future drills, campus closures or emergencies, we encourage you to sign up for RAVE text alerts by texting "CAMPUSALERTS" to 67283. RAVE alerts allow the college to send text messages to your mobile phone. We will be using RAVE alerts to announce the beginning and end of the drill on Friday. Message and data rates may apply. Learn more at wvc.edu/Emergency.

If you have questions or concerns about the drill happening from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 23, 2023, please contact the Public Information Office at 509-682-6420 or pio@wvc.edu.

Thank you for your cooperation during this important emergency training drill.

Sincerely,

The Wenatchee Valley College Public Information Office
509-682-6420
pio@wvc.edu