Active shooter drill all too real in light of national news

Justin Davis, from left and Jake Metcalf, both of the Red Willow County Sheriff's office, bolt through a side entrance at Tipton Hall, keeping an eye out for the shooter, while college staff members huddle by the door. (Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- The blood and guns were fake, but the seriousness of the active shooter drill at McCook Community College Thursday was very real.

Coordinated by Community Hospital in McCook, the drill seems especially apropos after the Thursday shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, where nine students were killed. (See page three.)

"It's something you even hate to imagine, but we have to be prepared," said Andy Long, MCC vice president. He said multiple emergency drills are done at the college for a number of potential crisis situations, such as fire, tornado or shooting incidents and that emergency management at the college works hard to be as prepared as possible. Still, there is only so much one can do, he acknowledged.

Tyler Neff of the McCook Fire Department attends to Taylor Matson, a McCook Community College student portraying a gunshot victim, at the active shooter drill Thursday. The drill, coordinated by Community Hospital in McCook, took place at the MCC campus and involved the Red Willow County Sheriff's office, the McCook Police and Fire Departments and staff at Community Hospital. Law enforcement had to locate and neutralize a "shooter" on campus, with a total of three drills conducted. (Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette)

"I feel good we have a plan in place to mitigate damages," he said, citing procedures for active shooters and other measures, such as all outside doors being able to be locked electronically. "But obviously, we can't stop everything."

Although no drill can replicate the bedlam and chaos from an active shooter, the drill at the MCC campus was made to be as realistic as possible. MCC students in stage makeup played wounded victims while the "shooter," played by Adam Wolford, director of speech therapy at Community Hospital, tried to evade law enforcement, ducking in and out of hallways.

Student victims tried to play their roles as accurately as possible, with one approaching a member of law enforcement and asking if he could leave the building as he only had an arm injury. The student was told to stay put until medical responders could attend to him.

"No, if he can walk, let him go," said another responding officer. A discussion followed as to what procedure would be used if victims who were not seriously injured wanted to exit the building.

He was finally able to leave after the shooter was "killed."

"You're never totally prepared but you have to train the best you can for situations like this," said Red Willow County Sheriff Alan Kotschwar, whose department, along with the McCook Fire and Police Departments, were involved with the drill. Law enforcement regularly conducts multiple drills for events like this, Kotschwar said, which helps keep them prepared.

"A lot of people don't want to think about things like this, but we have to. You never know when you get a call like this. And the more training we do, the better off we are facing the task at hand," he said.

Coordination between first responders is key, he added.

The drill "gave our guys an opportunity to go in as a group with other departments, like the police. And it's always good to have the fire department involved."

After law enforcement located the "shooter" during the drill, emergency medical responders with the McCook Fire Department were allowed to go in and attend to the "victims." The victims were then transported to the emergency room at Community Hospital, where hospital staff treated the sudden influx of "patients."

"The drill gives us a better understanding of what everyone's role is," said Dari Olson, safety director at Community Hospital. "We always practice mass casualty and this was another opportunity to test the procedures we have in place."

This included a command center, set up within the hospital, with administrative staff members in constant communication with emergency personnel who were treating victims at the scene. Even phone apps are utilized in this kind of situation, so everyone is constantly updated of ongoing circumstances.

Protocol for family members trying to find out if a loved one is being treated and what to release to media was also implemented. In Thursday's drill, there were three critical patients admitted, two in moderate condition, six in minor condition and two flown out to another hospital.