Courthouse, city offices, to close Wednesday for active shooter training

By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT — The Portage County Courthouse and Stevens Point City Hall will close to the public on Wednesday for an active shooter training exercise involving county and city employees.

The training, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at 1516 Church St., will feature live scenarios with the Rescue Task Force, according to a media release from the Portage County Security and Facilities Committee.

“I am very happy the Rescue Task Force, consisting of law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other first responders, have agreed to conduct a live active shooter training for all courthouse and city employees so we can be ready if an active shooter event happens in our combined facility,” said Judge Louis J. Molepske Jr., committee chairman.

The exercise will include road closures around the courthouse to accommodate emergency services staging, simulating a real active shooter scenario.

Employees will receive morning training at the Portage County Annex before participating in live scenarios from 1 to 5 p.m. Some staff will play victims and witnesses to make the training realistic, Molepske said.

The training will feature live gun sounds and intensive law enforcement responses.

Lt. Joe Johnson of the Stevens Point Police Department is coordinating the training event.

RTF also held a live-shooter training earlier this year at Amherst High School.