Rescue Task Force training tackles 'worst case scenarios' of school shootings

School may be out, but law enforcement training is in.

First responders from several agencies spent the day participating in an annual Rescue Task Force Training.

A rescue task force (RTF) is made up of law enforcement officers who can escort firefighters and EMS inside the building to where victims may need attention.

On Wednesday, groups of two paramedics and two law enforcement officers went classroom by classroom searching for “victims”, some of whom were dummies and others volunteers.

Rob Pieper/WCPO

Madeira Police Department Lt. Paul Phillips said law enforcement practices for responding to these types of incidents have evolved. RTF teams allow for medical care to be administered more quickly.

“We want the paramedics to be able to focus on treating somebody that’s injured [without] having to be so worried about their safety,” Phillips said. “For our police officers to be able to learn how to keep the paramedic safe while they treat that and get that person transported to the hospital–that's going to save their life. That's a big deal.”

Rob Pieper/WCPO

This training allows for law enforcement to be able to practice that tight communication. Phillips said while police, fire and EMS work together at scenes all the time, they don’t often have to move and communicate in a small unit. “They’re really practicing a lot of that,” he said.

First responders from Madeira, Montgomery, Loveland-Symmes, Deer Park, Golf Manor and Indian Hill all participated in the annual training Wednesday. Phillips said it is critical that the agencies collaborate with the school district so that responders can drill in a real environment.

The plan “looks great on paper,” he said. “But when you actually do get things into motion, that's when you really learn.”

That is why Madeira and Indian Hill Joint Fire District Chief Stephen Oughterson said the daily exercise was so important: “the great thing about training is you can make mistakes.”

“That repetitiveness will get those kinks worked out, and we can provide great care when needed,” he said.

Andrew Rowan/WCPO

There have been at least 122 incidents of gunfire on school grounds this year, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety and the K-12 School Shooting Database .

"We're training on worst case scenarios. We're training for situations we hope never happen,” Phillips said. “But at the same time we know we have the duty to be prepared for those situations no matter what they are.”

Andrew Rowan

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