RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX News) — First responders never know when they’ll be called into a high-stakes situation. That’s why firefighters from Madison County and Richmond are sharpening their active shooter response skills through hands-on training.
“Today is the hands-on portion where we do simulated incidences where there has been an active shooter and we are responding to treat the victims,” Richmond Fire Department Chief Patrick Tudor explained.
As firefighters walk the halls with things like supplies and a tourniquet, they're practicing what's called a strike force. With a strike force, police officers have already secured an entire area of a school or a building, and firefighters and first responders can come in, locate victims, and tend to them.
Another response that has been practiced in the past is a task force, where a group of first responders are sandwiched by officers in front and behind them. The goal in both responses is to locate and remove victims as quickly as possible so they can receive treatment.
“We always say here, ‘if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready,’” Tudor shared. “So if we stay ready for each incident or what possibly could happen, we're going to be more effective for the public safety of the citizens and our first responders.”
Today’s challenges included searching rooms for any victims, working in darkness and low-visibility, and responding to crowded hallways and rooms.
“No scene is going to be the same as the one previous,” Tudor explained. “The more scenarios you can go through, the better trained you're going to be.”
Tudor said in emergency scenarios, it’s important to listen to the commands of first responders at the scene. In today’s training, teamwork was something that helped the group improve its response times.
“That's what we strive here at Richmond Fire Department is teamwork,” said Tudor. “We all come together as one and when the time needs to act as a team, we do that.”
Caleb Barnes is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at caleb.barnes@wlex.tv
