Walton County Fire Rescue and the City of Monroe Police and Fire joined together with Newton County Fire Department and Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Thursday for another in the ongoing training undertaken by local public safety departments. This allows them to be better prepared in case there is ever a mass casualty event at one of the local schools. The training this time was on the campus of George Walton Academy and included several different scenarios. Lt. Brett Davis with Monroe Police Department said a scenario is run through and then the participants get together to discuss what worked out, what went wrong, and how to adjust.
These training exercises happen on a regular basis and include law enforcement and emergency response personnel with the purpose of giving multiple agencies practice in coordinating the most effective response possible to an active shooter or similar emergency under realistic conditions. Teachers at the schools are also given training in responses on location to ensure that children are kept as safe and protected as possible should such an event take place. They are also trained through the WCFR Stop the Bleed Program to be able to medically assist anyone who may have been injured pending the arrival of certified EMTs.
Stop the Bleed is a campaign to raise the awareness of basic actions to stop life-threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies and manmade and natural disasters. For more information on this visit bleedingcontrol.org.
Last year, WCFR received a $10,000 grant from Walton EMC’s Operation Round Up program to purchase active shooter response kits. These kits include bullet-proof vests and helmets that allows EMTs to enter other parts of the building to get to the victims instead of having to wait until law enforcement has effectively cleared the building and are now protected while rendering aid.
Photo Gallery from Mass Casualty Training at George Walton Academy on July 26, 2019.
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