On Saturday morning, members of the Northfield Polce Department, the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service, the 
Northfield Hospital + Clinics Emergency Medical Service team, and more than 40 members of other emergency response agencies throughout the Southeast region of Minnesota convened at the Northfield Middle School for Emergency Training on how to handle mass casualty events, including an Active Shooter situation.
The agencies practiced how to work together, discussing individual roles and the collaborations that are vital to the success of an operation such as this. NPD Chief of Police Mark Elliott, NAFRS Chief Tom Nelson, and EMS Chief Brian Edwards all pointed out that communication between agencies is a foundational key to success, and that cannot happen with the fluidity that is needed without joint training programs.
Selected emergency personnel demonstrated how the joint operations work in a mock setting, as law enforcement agents led medical and fire technicians down a hallway to tend to actors posing as victims. The exercise showed very clearly the different roles each agency has and the need for seamless cooperation between them.
Elliott said the agencies from around the region come together about four times each year to work on these scenarios. Nelson pointed out that they train together because every agency in the area calls on the help of others in situations like this. Elliott said this has now been happening for a few years.
“About seven years ago everyone in this region realized that no one agency, and no group of agencies from one municipality is big enough to handle a situation like this. The decision was made to put trainings like this together.”
All present, as well as Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillman and Bridgewater Elementary School Principal Nancy Antoine spoke about the benefits every person involved in the training will receive, including the middle school and high school students who posed as victims.
“This is teaching them lifelong skills,” said Antoine. “This is teaching them to be leaders.”
“Like Mr. Rogers used to say,” said Nelson. “’Always look for the helpers.’ This is creating helpers.”
Hillmann said it helps the students understand the importance of speaking up if they see or suspect something that could become a problem.
“We try to teach all of our students to talk to a trusted adult when something isn’t right,” he said.
He reminded everyone that that is a good principle for the whole community to keep in mind.
“Communication is the first line of defense,” he said. “If you see something, say something.”
Pursell jumping into committee assignments
Newly sworn in Representative Krist Pursell of District 58A described her first week at the Capitol as “wild,” 
between the pomp and circumstance of the inauguration and being sworn in herself and then getting settled into her new surroundings.
As one of 47 brand new members of the House of Representatives, she said there is a lot to get up to speed on, not the least of which is getting to know her colleagues. She admitted to being slightly “starstruck” by some of the people she has met, because they are all quite impressive, including, she said, many of her colleagues on the GOP side of the aisle.
There has not, however, been the adjustment period that would normally accompany the beginning of a legislative session. With a nearly $18 Billion budget surplus that must be dealt with, already 117 bills have been introduced into the House and sent to committee. It is an astronomical number for the first week of a session, and Pursell said several of her committees have already begun to discuss them.
Pursell is a member of the Elections Finance and Policy Committee, the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee, and the Education Finance Committee. She said key members of her district have already contacted her to discuss the need for funding in public education.
“We’ve heard from a lot of school districts, especially ones right here in the district, Tri-City United, New Prague, and Northfield, that having the Special Education Cross Subsidy is really a burden on these local school districts and really puts a lot of pressure on the local taxpayers.”
Before her first term even began, Pursell was named the Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee. She said the position has not satisfied her desire to make sure farmers and people in rural areas have a voice in her party.
“I’m the broken record up there in Saint Paul. “I just keep saying,’Okay, we’re talking about cannabis. What about the farmers?’ or ‘Okay, we’re talking about clean energy. What about landowners in rural places who could have solar arrays or could have turbines.’ So, I feel like it’s a really important perspective to bring to my fellow, largely metro, colleagues in the DFL.”
Representative Pursell said she is looking forward to talking more with the people of her district. Working with her legislative assistant, Callie Murphy, she has blocked out time to talk and meet with those who would to meet with her. She said Murphy handles her schedule and can be contacted at (651) 297-5003. Pursell can be contacted at rep.kristi.pursell@house.mn.gov.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
School Board will meet tonight
The Northfield School Board will meet tonight in the District Office Boardroom. 
Tonight’s activities will be divided into two separate meetings. The first will be organizational. New members of the board will be seated, new officers will be elected, and the general activities, ethics and code of conduct will be discussed.
Following the adjournment of the first meeting, a second will be called to order. With several items on the agenda, the most prominent will be the nomination and appointment of a temporary board member to fill the seat of Board Member Noel Stratmoen. Stratmoen, the longest tenured member of any school board in the state of Minnesota, submitted a temporary letter of resignation in December due to health concerns. He will be eligible to return to the board in mid-March.
For more information on the Northfield School Board and the agenda for this evening’s meetings visit northfieldschools.org.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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