Simulated law enforcement drills at CSUEB Oct. 15-17
Both emergency medical and law enforcement personnel will take part in Urban Shield drills Oct. 15-17. (Photo: Urban Shield)
- September 15, 2011
Special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams from law enforcement organizations throughout the world will be participating in simulated exercises, known as Urban Shield training, at numerous locations throughout Alameda County on the weekend of Oct. 15-17. The Hayward Campus of California State University, East Bay will be one of those sites.
In addition to law enforcement officers, emergency medical services and technology personnel from a variety of different communities will take part in the drills.
The campus community and surrounding neighbors of the university are being advised that the campus will be a buzz of police activity for 48 consecutive hours – beginning 5 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 through 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17. The center of the Urban Shield exercises will take place on the west side of campus, with Warren Hall, the university’s old administration building, being the center of the activity. Parking lots A and B, located on the north and south sides of the facility, also will be used. Set up for the exercises will begin Friday evening, Oct. 14.
For the drills, 30 participating SWAT teams will come one-by-one for time blocks of 75 minutes each to deal with a simulated scenario in which they are trying to resolve a simulated hostage situation involving terrorists in Warren Hall, according to James Hodges, interim police chief for Cal State East Bay.
Each SWAT team will attempt a hostage rescue with multiple hostages and casualties on scene in various states of severity. The Urban Shield scenarios used are described as “hyper-realistic,” with explosion sounds, simulated blast injuries, simulated gunfire and Hollywood level victim makeup.
"Students, staff, faculty and the general public will not be allowed into the area where the drills are taking place during 48-hour period of Urban Shield drills," Hodges said.
Otherwise, normal university activities, including classes, will take place on other parts of the campus.
The public can follow online the activities of the Urban Shield exercises at CSUEB and other locations in Alameda County, as well as get additional information about the program, at .