Lea County Scouts Participate in Active Shooter Drill

From the desk of Katie Espinosa Newton, Council Commissioner

Tuesday, July 16, 2025 - Lea County Scouts from Troops 300, 301, and 3274, along with Explorers from Lea County Sheriff’s Explorer Post 384, participated as actors in the Hobbs Police Department and Hobbs Fire Department’s first Active Shooter Drill. Eight Scouts, eight Explorers, and five Leaders played various roles in the drill to enhance its realism for the multiple law enforcement and emergency response agencies involved. The New Mexico State Police, Lea County Sheriff’s Department, Covenant Hospital, and Air Methods Native Air 29 Medical Transport also participated in the drill.

Volunteers were instructed to make the exercise as realistic as possible by playing the roles of victims, panicking bystanders, and students in locked-down classrooms. Each of the Scouts used all the acting skills they had learned from campfire skits to make this drill successful.

After the drill, the Scouts were able to visit with the Air Methods Native Air 29 Medical Transport team and listen to the debrief on how the drill went from HPD and HFD.

This Drill for the Scouts counted toward a requirement from the Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge and the Messenger of Peace Award. For the Explorers, this was one of the many opportunities for them to see firsthand the duties of a law enforcement officer. 

By participating in this vital training, these young people demonstrated exactly what it means to be prepared — mentally, physically, and emotionally. Scouting equips youth with real-world skills, confidence in emergencies, and the character to serve their communities.

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