(Red Deer RCMP)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Sept. 23, 2025

Red Deer RCMP and Red Deer Emergency Services conduct training scenarios

Oct 11, 2025 | 8:00 AM

Red Deer RCMP together with Red Deer Emergency Services and other internal and external partners, took part in a joint mass-casualty training exercise at Westerner Park last month.

The Sept. 23, 2025, event saw more than 173 personnel from various organizations take part in the exercise, including the following agencies:

• Red Deer RCMP members from General Duty, General Investigation Section (GIS), Downtown Patrol Unit (DPU), and Police Dog Services (PDS)
• Alberta RCMP members from Southern Alberta Operational Communications Centre (OCC), K Division Real Time Operations Centre (RTOC), Calgary RCMP Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS)
• Alberta RCMP K Division Critical Incident Program, which includes the Critical Incident Commanders, Emergency Response Team (ERT), Crisis Negotiators, and Tactical Police Medics
• City of Red Deer Emergency Coordination Centre, Emergency Social Services, Public Works, and Red Deer Emergency Services – EMS & Fire
• Alberta Emergency Management Agency
• Alberta Health Services
• As well as numerous community volunteers who participated as actors

Organizers say this comprehensive training exercise involved Red Deer RCMP being dispatched to a dynamic and evolving scenario, with multiple active shooters and numerous casualties requiring medical attention.

“The goal of this scenario was to enhance our ability to respond to a mass casualty incident with Red Deer Emergency Services and the City of Red Deer,” says Cst. Jeff Shanks, Red Deer RCMP Operational Skills Maintenance Instructor. “The Red Deer RCMP regularly provides training related to Critical Incident response, however this was an opportunity to implement and evaluate our response in conjunction with our local partners as well as a multitude of RCMP units from outside of Red Deer.”

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Officials say scenario-based training events allow police and other first responders to practice their skills and improve their coordinated response to best prepare for large-scale events. Cst. Shanks says “It was impressive to see the collaboration between all of the organizations and more importantly the individuals who would come together to provide support during a mass casualty event in Red Deer. This was the largest inter-agency training exercise that I have been a part of in 16 years with the RCMP.”

As the exercise evolved, officials note the participating organizations each had an opportunity to implement their unique emergency response roles, exemplifying the teamwork required for a large-scale event. From scene containment, active shooter response, crisis negotiation, emergency medical response, and establishing an emergency reception center for loved ones, organizers highlight that many of the elements of mass-casualty response were tested at the exercise.

(Red Deer RCMP)

Red Deer RCMP Detachment Commander Supt. Holly Glassford oversaw the day’s events. “Exercises such as this are just an example of the behind-the-scenes training our members continually do to improve our response and practice our skills, in order to best serve our community,” says Supt. Glassford. “By fostering strong inter-agency partnerships and engaging both internal and external specialized resources and tools, we are able to enhance our response to public safety. The expertise and dedication of our RCMP members and partner agency personnel during this exercise was impressive.”