Best prepared for the worst-case scenario

Originally published on Sept. 2, 2020 in the Mason County Democrat. Photos by Tory Dahlhoff

An officer in full tactical gear rushed heel-to-toe down the glossy hallway floor and approached the classroom with the butt of his rifle pressed to his shoulder. 

He shouted a simple command at the camo-clad man he spotted through the narrow window of the door.

“Drop the gun!”

The man silently declined by raising his shotgun toward the door, forcing the hand and trigger-finger of the officer.

Pop pop pop!

The gunman dropped to the ground, his face protected by a black plastic mask and his chest by a sand-colored ballistic vest.  The officer entered the room, still on full alert as he approached the gunman’s motionless body.  

The simulation suddenly ended when a second officer entered the room and asked:  what would you do next?  

This annual active shooter simulation–staged at an empty Havana High School on Aug. 21, just days before students arrived for the new school year–prepares Mason County’s law enforcement officers to quickly assess a scene and answer those very questions.

The unfortunate reality of the nationwide escalation of mass shootings in the 20 years since Columbine means law enforcement and emergency responders must feel fully prepared to intervene at a moment's notice.  

Active shooter training rose in priority following Columbine, but it was only in recent years that Mason County law enforcement combined their training with the county’s emergency medical responders.

Mason County Sheriff Paul Gann said the greatest recurring weakness of responders during active shooter events has been the lack of coordination between police and medical teams.  The tendency of police to secure a scene before allowing medical personnel to triage casualties has led to an increase in mass shooting fatalities.

“Tying it all together was definitely a shortfall that all the agencies statewide and nationwide actually recognized,” said Gann.

Gann, a trained master threat instructor, has put the principles of coordination and cooperation into action at these annual training sessions.  This year’s training saw participation from Gann’s office, Havana Police, Forman Fire Protection District, Mason District Hospital, and the Emergency Management Agency.

During the training, medical responders are escorted by police to the casualties in portions of the building that have received an initial sweep, even as a simulated shooter remains active in another area of the building.  

“It’s basically the new concept of combat medic,” said Captain Michael Worner with the Forman Fire Protection District.  “We can go into the warm zones and start treating people right away...we can save more lives doing this.”

Havana’s Deputy Police Chief James Stark said he typically receives good feedback from his officers after a training and he looks forward to continuing the partnership with the sheriff’s office.

“We integrate them and they integrate us more with their training,” said Stark.  “We’re building a much better working relationship with them.”

Gann said that although a real world crisis would have unique and unexpected challenges, these types of trainings can set a foundation of best practices for responders and for the school.  He encouraged agencies to prioritize active shooter preparedness.

“You’ve got to make the time, you got to make the resources and get good training,” said Gann.

“Bad training only develops bad habits.  So with good solid training and communication things work out a lot better.”