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North Plainfield Police Department

Press Release

Chief William Parenti

June 25 , 2015

Chief William Parenti announced that four Eastern Somerset County Police Departments will participate in an exercise to test regional law enforcement’s response capabilities to a Mass Casualty Incident.  The exercise will involve testing the newly published Somerset County Police Emergency Response Plan (SC-PERP). That plan was developed in partnership with Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano and the Somerset County Association of Chiefs of Police.  The plan has standardized the procedure for Somerset County police departments to request assistance from neighboring communities for large scale incidents and natural made or man-made disasters.   

The active shooter exercise to be held at the North Plainfield High School on June 26 and June 29, 2015 between 8AM and 4PM and will be scenario based training.  A scenario will be presented to the host agency (North Plainfield) which will require resources beyond the normal capabilities of any one law enforcement agency.  This scenario will require the activation of the “Eastern Region” of the SC-PERP plan and a response from four area police departments including; The Green Brook, Warren and Watchung Police to assist North Plainfield. 

The scenario will prepare emergency workers to include Police, Fire, Rescue and department of public works to work together in a seamless transfer from one supporting agency to another functioning collectively and accomplish the mission.  Each agency and person has different skills and will bring a different component to the table. 

The exercise will draw attention to the rescue operation and tend to the injured in a mass active shooter event.  Rescue and Paramedic services from regional agencies will also participate in the event including the North Plainfield Fire Department and Emergency Medical assets.  Other stakeholders participating in the exercise are the Watchung Rescue Squad, the Emergency Medical Services of Robert Wood Johnson Hospital (Somerset), J.F.K. Medical Center (Edison) and Atlantic Health Care from Overlook hospital in Summit New Jersey.