"Shelter In Place" Drill in Upper Marlboro Courthouse Friday

The sheriff's office announced it will hold an emergency preparedness "shelter in place" drill in two wings of the Upper Marlboro, MD Courthouse from from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Friday.

The drill is a training exercise and will impact courthouse personnel only, according to the Prince George's County Office of the Sheriff.

The announcement said Duvall and Marbury Wings will be closed during the drill; courtrooms M1410 and M1414 are exceptions.

Public access points to the Bourne Wing will not be affected by the drill, and the commissioners entrance and atrium of the courthouse will be open and functional, according to the announcement.

Before the training drill begins, announcements will be made several times over the courthouse's public address system, according to the sheriff's office.

“We screened over 1.3 million visitors to the courthouse last year without a single incident or breach of security,” said Lt. Col. Mark Roccapriore, Bureau of Services Chief with the sheriff's office. “Emergency preparedness training for courthouse personnel is equally as important to courthouse safety and security; we want courthouse personnel to be knowledgeable and confident about what they are supposed to do in an emergency.”