(Papillion, NE) -- A heavy police presence will be in Papillion this weekend for training.
Sarpy County says law enforcement and rescue agencies will conduct a full-scale, multi-jurisdictional active shooter response training at Cobalt Credit Union’s headquarters near 72nd and Highway 370 in Papillion on Sunday, April 24. The exercise, called Operation Cobalt Safety, will begin at 11 a.m. People in the area will see a heavy law enforcement and public safety presence, including police cruisers, ambulances, fire trucks and a helicopter.
“We want the exercise to be as realistic as possible, so we’ll be responding just like we would during an actual emergency,” said Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Kevin Griger. “Training in a real-life scenario allows our partners from every facet of emergency services to run through their response and find out where we, as a coordinated effort, can make improvements.”
“As members of the Sarpy County community, we’re honored to host this important training exercise,” said Robin Larsen, President and Chief Executive Officer at Cobalt Credit Union. “It’s part of our commitment to keep our customers, our employees and our Sarpy County neighbors safe."
Sarpy County says the training exercise is being funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A team of volunteers will film the exercise and create videos that can be used as training materials, which will be shared with public safety agencies. “We’re excited about Operation Cobalt Safety, and we’re thankful to Cobalt and the business community, as well as our many partners who are making this all possible,” Capt. Griger said. “We also want to remind the public that this is just an exercise, and that the law enforcement presence at this location on April 24 is not a cause for concern.”
The roads around Cobalt Credit Union will remain open throughout the exercise; however, drivers are asked to be aware of additional law enforcement and rescue vehicles using both Highway 370 and 72nd Street. The exercise will be complete by mid-afternoon.