A man with a loaded gun, wearing a red shirt breached security
at the hospital and threatened to shoot unarmed patients. As police
sent in four entry teams from different angles, frightened and
bloodied victims exited the building intermittently
– shaking the nerves of officers and paramedics outside who
didn’t know if one of the patients was the shooter in disguise.
A man with a loaded gun, wearing a red shirt breached security at the hospital and threatened to shoot unarmed patients. As police sent in four entry teams from different angles, frightened and bloodied victims exited the building intermittently – shaking the nerves of officers and paramedics outside who didn’t know if one of the patients was the shooter in disguise.
The shooter further confused police by changing into a blue shirt inside the hospital. He was subdued, but authorities had to search the facility to make sure he was the only attacker.
But it was only a drill, coordinated by law enforcement agencies, fire and emergency medical services, hospitals and public health officials throughout Santa Clara County.
The purpose of the “active shooter” exercise, held Tuesday at the vacant DePaul hospital facility in Morgan Hill, was to test the ability of hospitals, law enforcement and first responders to communicate and work together in case such an emergency happens in real life.
“Recent real-world events of a similar nature have prompted the Santa Clara County Public Health Department to provide a training opportunity for hospitals and emergency response officials to come together and exercise plans, policies and procedures as they pertain to a local hospital-based active shooter event,” said county health officer Marty Fenstersheib.
The scenario was designed to require the coordination of multiple jurisdictions and agencies, including hospital security, to test the medical and safety response. Among those participating in the drill were Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Palo Alto police departments, as well as the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Four Morgan Hill officers acted as role players and evaluators in the scenario. The law enforcement side of the exercise consisted of officers approaching the hospital in four teams of six to eight, at scattered intervals and through different sides of the building. Armed with high-powered rifles, they carefully entered the building, called for medical help for the victims they passed, and continued to ensure each room was clear of a threat until they subdued the suspect.
Ambulances and paramedics treated the victims – played by county staff people – and hospital staff helped move sick patients to safe areas of the facility.
The participating agencies also plan to evaluate the data they collect from the theoretical emergency response, and identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as areas where they could improve their response, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rick Sung. Some of the outcomes of the drill include updating the agencies’ “active shooter” response plan, improved communication between the different agencies and hospitals, and “overall increased preparedness and confidence of hospital personnel and responding agencies,” Sung said.
Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson participated in the drill as an observer. He said such exercises are valuable because they improve agencies’ preparedness to work together in “moderate stress” emergencies, and allow the agencies to network and share their expertise with each other.
“It strengthens our ties in the event we have an incident where we need a regional approach,” Sampson said. “It gives all these agencies the opportunity to work together. It was very well organized, and a good opportunity for us to practice that kind of scenario.”
