By Stephen Hagan
Gloucester Daily Times
MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA, Mass. 鈥� About 90 Cape Ann first responders reported to Manchester-by-the-Sea over the weekend for an active shooter drill at Memorial Elementary School.
The training, known as the 鈥淎ctive Attack Integrated Response鈥� course, started Saturday and continued Sunday. It included classroom teaching, but gave firefighters and police from Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea the experience of participating in simulated real-life situations.
It also aimed to strengthen bonds between the departments.
On Sunday, the police and firefighters assembled in the school parking lot to respond to a mock active shooter incident with several 鈥渃asualties鈥� inside the school. Some were armed with Glock 17T training pistols that fired blanks during the drill.
As an exercise in refining radio communications, those inside the school reported to those assembled outside on the status of the mock shooting.
鈥溾�橳he suspect is down,鈥� one officer reported on the police radio. 鈥淭he suspect is under arrest.鈥�
Following that, several 鈥減atients鈥� were carried outside to a waiting ambulance parked at the front of Memorial School .
John Mazza, statewide director of the Active Shooter Hostile Event Response unit, part of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, said there can never be too much training.
鈥淵ou never know if and when this could happen,鈥� Mazza said at the scene.
Communication and cooperation
Merrimac police Chief Eric Shears, who facilitated the exercise, told participants that communication and cooperation would be essential at a real active shooter incident.
It would be imperative to set up a 鈥渦nified command,鈥� establish ties with unfamiliar police and firefighters on the scene, and manage all aspects of a real public safety response 鈥� including keeping the area secure, he said.
鈥淲hen you meet somebody, reach out and shake their hands,鈥� Shears said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to battle together.鈥�
Shears pointed to a recent swatting incident in Merrimac where authorities responded to a bogus emergency call at a school. He said parents arrived almost as fast as public safety officials 鈥� in this case within four minutes of the first calls to police.
鈥淭hey have to be dealt with too,鈥� Shears said.
Rockport police Chief John Horvath said conducting the drills in the controlled environment at Manchester Memorial School helped to establish trust and understanding for each of the participants.
鈥淭he collaboration includes a coordinated emergency response, in order for our personnel to work together effectively,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he training emphasizes the importance of having a unified plan that integrates law enforcement鈥檚 role in neutralizing threats and fire (and) EMS personnel鈥檚 role in providing medical care and evacuating victims.鈥�
The training introduced shared communication protocols that would ensure 鈥渢hat all teams are on the same page鈥� and minimize the potential for miscommunication, Horvath said.
鈥淥ur goal is a faster, safer and more efficient emergency response that can save lives and mitigate the damage caused by a critical incident,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are committed to providing this service at the highest level to our communities.鈥�
Essex Fire Chief Ramie Reader said his department regularly trains to hone emergency response skills. The weekend training, he said, simply added to the knowledge police and fire officials need to have.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing a lot of active shooter training over the past couple of years,鈥� Reader said. 鈥淵ou can never do enough.鈥�
Essex police Chief Paul Francis said the training stressed the importance of planning and coordination.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his type of training has evolved over the years. The idea is to blend police and EMS/firefighters.鈥�
Cape Ann first responders have developed protocols that foster smooth emergency responses, and Reader said they have much experience coordinating their respective responses.
The weekend training, Francis said, only helps.
鈥淭he idea is to get medical help to the victims as soon as possible,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t saves lives. We do a lot of things together. We get to know each other and we work well together. God forbid, there鈥檚 an incident in one of our schools. Manchester, Rockport and Essex are coming.鈥�
The training鈥檚 active shooter drills were timely in light of recent mass shooting incidents, Manchester-by-the-Sea police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said.
鈥淵ou see what鈥檚 happening all around the country,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be prepared for an active shooter, whether it鈥檚 in a school setting or a municipal building that we have to respond to. I think we just need to get everyone on the same page, whether it鈥檚 police or fire. The goal is to bring all the communities together.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we all work together to make the responses a seamless and smooth process.鈥�
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