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Marine Lab to Participate in Mock Emergency Exercise

Exercise to coincide with drill at NOAA facility on island

[UPDATE on March 20, 2013: NOAA has postponed its active shooter drill until sometime in April, however, the Duke Marine Lab will continue with its tabletop exercise.]

The Duke University Marine Lab will participate in a mock emergency exercise from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, March 22, as part of its emergency management preparation.

The table-top exercise is scheduled to coincide with an active shooter drill being conducted at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility located adjacent to the Marine Lab on Pivers Island in Beaufort, N.C.

The drill was organized by local law enforcement and NOAA to test their emergency procedures. Because of its close proximity, the Marine Lab was invited to participate as well.

"Our participation will be more of a discussion coordinated by Duke Police where we will walk through issues, procedures, communications and decision points based on the scenario," said Cindy Van Dover, director of the Marine Lab.

NOAA will be participating in a full exercise with an actor simulating an attack and local law enforcement responding accordingly.

All students, faculty and staff at the Marine Lab will be notified in advance. Local media will also be notified to ensure the activities are not mistaken for a real incident.

"We hope a situation like this never happens, but it is important to test and evaluate our plans with our partner agencies," said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration and Duke's emergency coordinator. "These are important learning experiences that help us be better prepared."