SPRINGVILLE (WAOW)– First responders in three area counties, trained for a parents worst nightmare Wednesday, a missing child. Adams, Wood and Juneau Counties held a child abduction training simulation in Springville. The simulation brought together multiple departments including first responders, sex offender registry specialists and volunteers.

The realistic simulation began in the morning as officials met to plan the search. Adams county sheriff Sam Wollin said that this kind of training gives law enforcement an opportunity to test their skills and identify areas of improvement.

The hope is that these three counties can make child abduction searches as quick and seamless as possible.

“Law enforcement in this area have identified that this is a need and they want to show that they care. If something like this happens, we don’t wait around anymore,” said Valerie Santana, a Sex Offender Registry Specialist.

It was also an opportunity to test new technologies. In a control center, officials were working with GIS, a mapping system. Out in the field, drones were used as aids in the search.

The drone used by Juneau County Lieutenant Teig Hoag can sense heat signatures that standard camera can’t pick up, giving officials an advantage when searching at night.

Officials believe these new technologies combined with existing resources, like K-9 units, will improve their searching capabilities.