The Boulder Police Department conducted a training on April 17 inside the old New Vista High School, which is set to be torn down this spring. The department posted on X last week to inform community members about the training, saying that there would be no cause for alarm despite a large law enforcement presence at the old New Vista High School. “You might hear explosions,” the department wrote.
Training for Boulder Police was held inside the vacant school from about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. last Thursday, and officers ran through different types of scenarios and conducted critical incident response training.
“We regularly do training with our partners at BVSD so that officers are prepared for a variety of scenarios they could encounter in different types of facilities,” said Boulder Police Department Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh. “We were fortunate that we were able to train inside the old New Vista High School because it’s incredibly helpful for officers for school-related calls.”
The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) regularly provides access to its buildings for law enforcement and other emergency services, according to Randy Barber, chief communications officer for BVSD. In previous summers, the police department has used BVSD facilities for training to familiarize the staff with the school facilities and to prepare for possible situations. This prepares the officers to respond to emergencies, such as active shooter events, effectively and efficiently.
“The prospect of allowing them to use a soon-to-be demolished building allows them to approach the situation without concern for damaging the building,” Barber said.
The old New Vista High School building was built in 1953 and was retired in December of last year. The new New Vista High School building is located at the same address as the old building.
