Yesterday’s "active shooter" drill at Altoona Area High School had an unexpected twist to it when a power surge hit parts of the city.
 
That unscripted development in the drill not only set off alarms at Altoona Regional, and caused lights to flicker at the Blair County Department of Emergency Services and the 911 Emergency Management headquarters, it also provided a test for the school district’s security cameras which officials say continued to operate throughout the drill.
 
The exercise simulated police trying to disarm a gunman in a school cafeteria with 100 students.
 
On the positive side, the district’s emergency notification system worked successfully.
 
Something that will need to be addressed though was a communication gap among emergency responders responsible for controlling traffic.
 
The drill which began around 9AM was conducted by the Altoona Area School District police in collaboration with the Blair County EMA, Blair County 911 Center, Altoona police, Altoona firefighters, AMED and Logan Township police.