BRIGHTON, CO (Friday, Oct.2, 2026) – Several Adams County first responder and public service agencies came together today to conduct a full-scale active threat exercise at the Adams County Justice Center. The Justice Center was closed to the public during the exercise.
Participating agencies included the 17th Judicial District, Adams County Sheriff’s Office (including the Office of Emergency Management), 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Brighton Police Department, Brighton Fire Rescue District, Platte Valley Medical Center, the Adams County Communication Center (ADCOM911), Public Defender’s Office, among others.
The purpose of the exercise was to provide employees at the Justice Center with realistic training in responding to simulated active-threat scenarios. It also provided first responders, judicial partners and hospital personnel with a rare opportunity to participate in a large-scale, coordinated training exercise.
“Exercises like this are about preparation. We hope we never have to respond to an incident like the one we simulated today, but if that day ever comes, our community expects us to be ready,” Adams County Sheriff Gene Claps said. “That means our law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, hospital partners, judicial staff and other public safety professionals must have opportunities to train together before a real emergency occurs. We want to thank all of our partners for helping make this training happen.”
The exercise took several months to plan and required extensive coordination among the participating agencies to ensure each organization could test its response to a complex, rapidly evolving emergency.
In the coming weeks, participating agencies will evaluate their responses, identify lessons learned and determine areas for improvement.
The safety and security of the Adams County Justice Center remains a top priority for all participating agencies. Exercises like this help strengthen coordination among law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, hospital personnel and judicial partners before a real-world emergency occurs.
The Adams County Justice Center will re-open for normal operations on Tuesday, October 6th, following being closed for the Frances Cabrini holiday on Monday, October 5th.