VCU Police, city of Richmond to conduct hazardous material spill training exercise at VCU on July 25

The VCU Police Department will hold a training exercise in collaboration with the city of Richmond and a number of state and local agencies on Thursday, July 25, on the Monroe Park Campus.

The exercise will involve a simulated hazardous material spill outside University Student Commons, located at 907 Floyd Ave. The training will involve nearly 150 participants and will provide public health and safety teams and first responders with the opportunity to practice a coordinated emergency response on VCU's campus.

VCU Police Chief and Associate Vice President for Public Safety John Venuti and interim VCU Assistant Vice President for Safety and Risk Management Michael Cimis will be available to speak with reporters at 8:30 a.m., prior to the start of the exercise. During the exercise, reporters will be welcome to observe the training.

Media parking will be available on the 900 block of West Main Street, before the VCU sign.

Police will use multiple communications, including mass emails and social media messages, in advance of the exercise to increase awareness among the university community, neighborhood organizations and area businesses. On the day of the exercise, police will issue text messages to more than 60,000 VCU Alert subscribers.

University Student Commons and the Grace E. Harris Hall auditorium, as well as the walkway between these facilities, will be closed to the public during the training. The area will be clearly marked with signs, and security officers will be on site to answer questions and direct pedestrian traffic.

There will be road closures on July 25 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. that include: 1) North Linden Street between Park and Floyd avenues; 2) Floyd Avenue between North Harrison and North Cherry streets; and 3) North Cherry Street between Floyd Avenue and West Main Street. Additionally, street parking will not be available during the exercise on West Main Street between Cherry Street and Floyd Avenue.