Owensboro emergency agencies tackle rescue task force training at local middle school

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — Emergency crews are warning people not to be alarmed if they see emergency vehicles lined up at College View Middle School. It’s all part of training underway to improve response times in the event of an active shooter.

Law enforcement says in today’s world safety means preparing for the event of an active shooter entering the workplace or a school building.

The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and the Daviess County Fire Department are working together to update their rescue task force training. Officials say a few prior protocols will need to be altered to ensure their own safety and those around them.

“A lot of times most of the buildings were completely secured and searched before you were able to ever let any EMS in or fire agencies in to treat patients. In a school this size, that could take a couple hours to make sure the school is clear. By waiting that long, it usually doesn’t have good outcomes for the patients that have been shot,” says Battalion Chief Jake Cox of the Daviess County Fire Department.

Now, the goal is get medical assistance inside the building within 20 minutes or less. In order to make that happen, they’ll spend three days walking through real-life scenarios.

Making split second decisions and factoring in things like how to calm a victim who is in shock.

Officials say the role changes are necessary but can be tricky at first.

“The law enforcement role is to provide security to the medical personnel and the firemen,” says Captain Jared Ramsey of the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.

“Your number one goal is to be married to that team and protect that team. So, it’s harder for the deputies when they hear gunshots ring out, they want to leave and go to the gunfire. In this role it’s completely opposite,” says Battalion Chief Cox.

Andrea Coleman works at the school and volunteered her time to serve as a gunshot victim.

“I have a child in the school system. I have two in the school system. It’s eased [my nerves] quite a bit to know that there are several teams not just coming in to find the shooter. They’re also looking for victims and survivors,” says Coleman, a school staff member who helped with the mock scenarios.

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