Active Shooter Drill

[jedimaster91]

So after years of having to watch a training video as part of our annual training modules (that I swear I did like, 6 times in as many weeks), we had our first live drill. It was a fairly massive undertaking, coordinating with hospital administration, the local PD, EMS, FD, and a group of actors to play the part of victims. There were signs and flyers posted all over the hospital informing of the drill so a well-meaning bystander (or hospital employee who didn't get the memo) wouldn't call it in as a real emergency.

It was up to the individual departments to decide where to hunker down and how to make their area as secure as possible. Imaging techs can be an endlessly creative bunch, plus we have a lot of lead containers laying around. Air Head and I opted to go into the hot lab. It has a coded lock on one door and the back door where the pharmacy comes in is locked and has to be opened by security. In the department itself, we shoved the computer cart in front of one door and locked the wheels. No one getting in that way. The other computer and chair got wedged in front of the side door, and the back door had our injection table and an IV pump. Not as secure, but probably enough to deter someone who just wants to create mayhem.

Nothing to do after that but hunker down, be quiet, and wait for the all clear. At least in theory.

They say no battle plan survives contact with the enemy and the same seems to be true of drills. Apparently, one of our patients was getting antsy. They had been informed of the drill, but she was high strung to begin with, so of course she wouldn't be happy about the delay. And, as this was the first time we'd ever done this kind of drill, it probably was taking longer by virtue of everyone involved still learning.

So as Air Head and I are chilling, scrolling through FB to pass the time, her phone starts ringing (on vibrate). She looks up at me kinda panicked.

AH: *whispering* It's BossLady. Should I answer it?
Me: Probably.
AH: *as quietly as possible* Hello?
BL: Where are you hiding?
AH: In the hot lab. Why?
BL: Your patients are getting angry. We probably need to get them going.
Me: *after being relayed this info* We haven't gotten an all clear yet.

A few minutes later, our back door starts opening. I grabbed one of our lead boxes ready to swing it at whoever came through the door when BL pokes her head in and gives me a startled look when she sees the box.

BL: Ok then...The PD has already cleared this area, so we're releasing only the two of you to scan your patients.
Me: *thinking* Yes, because patient satisfaction is more important than my, albeit simulated, life.

And so we resumed our normal duties. There is something insanely creepy about a quiet and empty hospital. I was already a bit on edge due to the drill and that just added to it. Within the next 10 or so minutes, the all clear was given over the intercom and we convened for a debrief.

The PD officer in charge seemed very impressed with how secure all the departments were with all of the stuff shoved in front of doors to prevent someone coming in. In some cases, we might have done a little too well since even the PD couldn't get in to clear the room. That's something that will have to be addressed in the future. There are other kinks that need to be worked out such as a more secure ER and more intercom speakers (the closest one to us is in the hall and we can't hear it from the hot lab). The video should be available in a few weeks so that should be interesting to see. All in all though, a very successful first drill. Now to see when or if the suits make the improvements we need.

[Buzzard]

As far as the PD getting in to clear it... If the PD can't get in, then the hostile has little chance of getting in as well.
If I've got to barricade, the PD can damn well wait for me to open up (after I've exhausted means of verifying that this is NOT a hostile of any sort). The first offender trying to breach is not going to like what I'd be trying to cook up for him.

[AccountingDrone]

LOL reminds me of the nuke ninja attack at one power plant I was working at for a short contract. The security company had a habit of hiring retired special forces types to break into places to test the overall security, but they forgot to tell us little subcontractors. I clocked a SEAL with a 6 foot torsion wrench because where I was 'taking a break' was between 2 large pieces of equipment with a view across the spent rod pool so I could see a couple guys in black ninja'ing their way around cable tying workers. Oops... at least I didn't kill the poor guy though he did end up in hospital for a few days ...

I can advise never surprise someone who was an emergency response armed guard - reflexes can be dangerous.

[Food Lady]

Oh, weird--I hadn't read this thread but at work I was listening to This American Life and it was about these drills. It made me sad. ETA: I meant to say drills for schools specifically. It's sad that anyone has to do it.

[LadyofArc]

Oh, weird--I hadn't read this thread but at work I was listening to This American Life and it was about these drills. It made me sad. ETA: I meant to say drills for schools specifically. It's sad that anyone has to do it.

The closest thing we have in Aussieland are lockdown drills that are done every so often, but are more aimed at situations where there's a kidnap/assault/aggressive behaviour risk (examples may be a nasty custody dispute where one parent violated their restraining order or there's an aggressive animal on the school grounds*).

Oddly enough, despite the fact that the office I work in shares their tenancy with one of the government agencies, we have not had a lockdown drill at all.

* = most schoolyards these days are fenced, but a lot are not.

[Deevil]

The closest thing we have in Aussieland are lockdown drills that are done every so often, but are more aimed at situations where there's a kidnap/assault/aggressive behaviour risk

So instead of active shooter drills, you have dropbear attack drills?

[LadyofArc]

So instead of active shooter drills, you have dropbear attack drills?

Something like that (Thank you for the laugh, needed it)

Nah, the circumstances that would warrant a school going into lockdown over here are things like:

- Actual criminal and/or unknown adult wandering through school.

- Parent in custody battle seeking to violate court orders and/or restraining orders to take child with them (most of the orders I've read* have got something that usually allows the school to be made aware of it)

- Snake, dog or other animal that may or may not be a risk floating through school grounds.

- Extremely aggressive child running around or needing to be restrained (who may or may not have special needs).

- Kid with special needs disappearing and/or absconding in general. (I've dealt with a few of these - when I was younger, I had a classmate with Downs who did just that. He managed to make it all the way to the local supermarket [about 3 blocks south of where the school was - he was 6!] where they found him in the frozen goods section )

* - the Australian Legal Institute website publishes summaries of most court cases and is open to the general public. For family court, they'll use pseudonyms more often than not and that psuedonym stays with the family in question if they go back to court more than once. I like to read them as it helps keep me grounded.

[TheWolfEmperor]

As far as the PD getting in to clear it... If the PD can't get in, then the hostile has little chance of getting in as well.
If I've got to barricade, the PD can damn well wait for me to open up (after I've exhausted means of verifying that this is NOT a hostile of any sort). The first offender trying to breach is not going to like what I'd be trying to cook up for him.

I'm picturing you during the drill standing in front of a stove with a chef's coat and hat on. You're preparing this five course meal. The shooter breaks in and you have him sit down at a table and you take the lid off and it's a very poorly prepared dish of onion rings.

Chef Ramsay is standing off to the side saying, "These look like the rejects from a used condom factory!"

Our store has to do a training module every time an active shooter situation happens in real life. But we haven't had to do a proper drill yet. After our last genuine fire alarm which turned out to not be a fire, I would be seriously scared shitless for anyone's safety if an actual incident were to happen at my store.

First customer I encounter: "Get out of here, there's a man with a gun!"

Customer: But the girl at the fitting room said I didn't have to leave the store.

Second customer I encounter: "Come on, run! We need to get out of the store!" Shooter come around the corner and takes aim at the customer who does not seem to register what I am saying to her, or is ignoring me entirely and goes about her shopping.

In the break room, my coworkers would still be on their phones. One of them would be bitching about the water cooler not getting replaced. The shooter could actually walk in there and take every single one of them out and one of my coworkers would casually look up from their phone and say, "Does anyone else hear that?"

[dawnfire]

Something like that (Thank you for the laugh, needed it)

Nah, the circumstances that would warrant a school going into lockdown over here are things like:

- Actual criminal and/or unknown adult wandering through school.

I've had part of the town on lockdown.

A criminal led the cops on a merry chase across the city, including a lockdown of the MCG ( a major sporting venue). We had 2 nursing homes , 2 primary schools and the high school (where the students happily texted what was happening, as he was on the school grounds for a while). The shops; it was business as usual , even serving him and then calling the cops to tell them in which direction he went.