Don’t be alarmed: Triangle hospital hosts ‘active shooter’ drill this weekend

If you notice lots of police, fire and other emergency vehicles outside UNC’s hospital in Hillsborough on Sunday, don’t be alarmed: It’s only a drill.

Employees from more than a dozen agencies will hold an “active shooter” drill in conjunction with UNC Hospitals. The drill is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and run until about 3 p.m.

The drill will take place in and around the hospital campus at 430 Waterstone Drive, off Old N.C. 86, just north of the Interstate 40 interchange.

But the activity will focus on the hospital’s new four-story patient tower. The drill gives hospital, law enforcement and other employees a chance to prepare for a shooting before the building opens to patients in January.

Using the new building should keep the drill from interfering with hospital operations, said UNC spokesman Phil Bridges.

Taking part in the drill will be county and local law enforcement, EMS and fire departments from Orange, Durham and Alamance counties.

UNC Health hospitals regularly hold these types of drills with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to plan and prepare for potential emergency situations, according to UNC Health.

This drill comes about a week after three people were shot at The Streets at Southpoint mall in southern Durham on Black Friday. Police responded to the scene and quickly evacuated the mall, where panicked shoppers had rushed for the exits on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, The News & Observer previously reported.

Durham police are still investigating and, as of Monday, said no charges had been filed.

Here’s more information from an expert about how to safely react in an active shooter situation.

Staff writer Kate Murphy contributed to this story.