Active-shooter drill prepares local agencies for the worst

March 28--COLUMBUS -- The sound of an alarm signaled something was wrong.

The voice that followed over a loud speaker warned of an armed person on campus and instructed people at Central Community College-Columbus to lock or barricade themselves in the nearest room.

Seconds later, screams and shots rang out. A young man carrying a gun ran down the hallway leaving injured and bleeding students in his wake.

Those who weren't hurt tried to tend to those who were and huddled over the wounded bodies on the floor.

Law enforcement from the Platte County Sheriff's Office, Columbus Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol rushed to the scene, hunting down the gunman, securing the area and helping those who were hurt during an active-shooter drill Thursday at the college campus.

The large-scale event was a year in the making and involved the college, law enforcement, rescue personnel and emergency room staff at Columbus Community Hospital. It was all done to prepare for a crisis that has become far too common at colleges and schools across the country.

The drill centered on gun violence on campus that erupted during a domestic dispute in the dorms.

"It's happening a lot lately, so it is important to know what to do," student Maeghan Jenkinson said of violence at schools.

Jenkinson was one of about 20 volunteers who took part in the drill. The college campus was void of the usual pedestrian traffic because of spring break. Students who did take part were prepped on their roles and improvised their reaction to the situation as it was happening.

"I've never done anything like this before, so it's hard to know how to act," said student Maria Ostry.

Those playing the roles of victims who were shot arrived at the campus early and had makeup applied to their faces and bodies to represent gunshot wounds. The idea was to make the situation as real as possible so the college, law enforcement and hospital could learn how to improve their responses to an emergency.

"I thought it was a great experience and allowed us to practice for something that we hope never does happen here," said Matt Gotschall, president of CCC-Columbus.

The college does exercises for emergency situations such as tornadoes. It also held a tabletop active-shooter drill, but that doesn't compare to a live-action drill.

Sue Deyke, emergency room director at CCH, said the same is true for her staff. An active drill makes the scenario more true-to-life.

"Tabletops are a lot of sitting and discussing and saying, 'I would do ... .' This one actually gave a little more realistic aspect and made them think on their feet and recognize where our communication needs to improve," Deyke said.

Most of the ER staff was in the dark about the drill. The first victims to arrive at the hospital were the "walking wounded," or those who didn't need to be transported by ambulance.

Those individuals came in acting frantic.

"That really happens. People become very panicked and they just arrive and you have to be on the spot right there," Deyke said.

The ER staff was to assess injuries and take the most critical first. There were three people brought in with critical injuries and two with serious injuries. One also had chest pains caused by the experience.

Deyke said the staff did well in the drill.

"I've always felt very comfortable in their ability to triage as to who is the most injured and needs the most attention. Today just proved that," she said.

Platte County Sheriff Jon Zavadil said his department takes part in several "live" emergency drills a year, including at the courthouse. The drills serve as practice for officers in the event they actually do come across such a situation.

"It's not only learning what to do and learning to work together. The repetitiveness makes it easier when it really does happen," Zavadil said.

All entities involved did a debriefing after the drill concluded.

"Everybody learned a little bit. There are some things that we probably would have done differently," Zavadil said.

From the college's standpoint, Gotschall said there might have been some gaps in communication, but going through the drill was worth it to see how equipped they are for such an event.

"We certainly feel better prepared now. Any emergency is going to be unique," he said.

Copyright 2014 - Columbus Telegram, Neb.