Nassau police confront mock terrorists in Garden City, Old Westbury drills

Nassau police confronted mock terrorists Sunday in Garden City, where they responded to shooters and suicide bombers in drills coming in the wake of the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.

"In the times that we live in, these types of exercises are an important part of our police force's training," County Executive Edward Mangano said at Nassau Community College in Garden City, where exercises took place as others were held simultaneously at New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury.

In a briefing beforehand, police were told that terrorists, known as the "Universal Adversary Group" had just attacked Paris in a scenario virtually identical to the Nov. 13 attacks. The same group was now threatening New York City and Long Island, they were told.

More than 200 people participated in the drills, including state, Nassau County and village police; the county Office of Emergency Management; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and volunteers who played victims.

As one drill began about 8:30 a.m., police on patrol received a radio call of a shooting at the college gym. Police entered through glass doors with unloaded weapons encountering "victims" moaning or appearing dead on the floor.

"Shots fired lower level," the police radio crackled, followed by, "There's shots going off in the gym."

More police arrived as the supposed wounded cried out, "I'm bleeding! Help me!"

Police initially ignored their wounds as screams echoed through the hallways.

Nassau Chief of Department Steven Skrynecki explained afterward that this response was intended to save lives.

"Our training calls for them -- when shooting is active -- to move toward the shooter and not render first aid initially until the shooter is neutralized," Skrynecki said. "Every second counts in a situation like this. Until the shooting stops, other people can be killed."

As the scenario unfolded, police learned there were three gunmen, all with suicide vests.

"Isolate and contain!" a voice on police radio commanded.

Bureau of Special Operations officers -- the police department's SWAT team -- moved in with M-4 rifles and the bomb squad brought a radio-controlled robot.

"Who can walk?" an officer asked those posing as victims. "If you can walk, step outside."

When the first drill was finished, the shooters had been eliminated, but police were "injured" too, said acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter.

Krumpter said the police performed well and would learn from their experience and later analysis designed to improve future performance. "It's not about gotcha," he said, "it's about providing training in a real-world environment."