Homeland security officials staged a shooting similar to the 2013 Navy Yard tragedy. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Police in the District of Columbia responded to a staged suicide bombing shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, on the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center site in Northwest Washington.

“Where’s everybody going? Can you help us?” a woman shrieked from a curb near the scene of the explosion.

The actress whimpered, putting on a dramatic display for observers from the FBI and other government agencies watching one act in the District’s full-scale overnight emergency preparedness drill from a nearby hilltop.

The cop who rescued the actress rushed back up to the doorstep of the brick building, avoiding the body of another faux victim who did not survive the blast. Within minutes, a firetruck pulled up and firefighters unrolled a hose, preparing to decontaminate the area in case the improvised explosive device turned out to be a chemical bomb.

“Anybody who can walk comes this way,” instructed one of the first responders near the fire truck, after getting a rundown on casualties and injuries from an officer. So far, police had found at least seven victims in the staged terror activity, including some amputees.

The dramatic exercise was staged to test the District’s public safety capabilities. The emergency responders and actors from this scene would be followed in the next few hours by the hazardous materials team, bomb squad and other specialized teams who would be reacting to multiple terrorists attacks for the training event.

The officer briefing the firefighters at Walter Reed broke character only once during the 30-minute portion of the 12-hour exercise that members of the media were invited to observe. ”I know I was supposed to have the mask on, but it’s fucked up,” he said looking at the helmet in his hands.

Organizers had warned this would be a long, chaotic night for all the players involved. Soon after the suicide bombing, central command would radio news of an active shooter in Southwest D.C. at Washington Navy Yard. Hours later, a hostage situation would unfold. By morning the players would be stressed, exhausted and covered in fake blood from the grizzly wounds of the actors they would transport to Georgetown University Hospital.

Like cities around the nation, District officials are betting the exertion will be worth it if terror strikes.

http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/terrorism-drill-dc-training/