Sussex County Jail personnel perform evacuation drills
Training exercises were successfully carried out at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility.
Three separate rapid evacuation exercises were conducted at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility during the month of June.
Designed to simulate conditions that might occur during an actual emergency at the jail, the exercises enhanced the training of all bureau of corrections personnel and prepared them should an actual evacuation become necessary.
A different training scenario—ranging from explosives threats to emergent fire and smoke conditions—was carried out during each shift. Inmates were evacuated from their respective housing units, relocated to a safe and secure holding area, secured with wrist restraints and subsequently prepared for possible transport to another housing unit or separate facility.
The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections maintains reciprocal agreements with a number of neighboring counties to house inmates in their facilities in the event of an emergency. During an actual emergency, Sussex County inmates may be transferred to correctional facilities in one or more of those counties.
All three exercises, each of which lasted approximately 40 minutes, were successful and all inmates were safely evacuated in a timely fashion without any injuries or problems.
The evacuations were a cooperative effort between the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement, the New Jersey State Police and the Newton Police Department.
