Wood County Schools hosts active shooter training with police, EMS
WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS students Ty Gribble and Noah Fullerton, behind, utilize their medical training to treat Anthony Harris, safety coordinator for Wood County Schools, during an active shooter training Thursday afternoon at Hamilton Middle School. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Destiny Suttles and Levi Stone, both WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS students, practice their emergency response skills on Parkersburg Police Detective Austin Williams Thursday afternoon during an active shooter preparedness training at Hamilton Middle School. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Ryan Bargerstock, a school resource officer with the Parkersburg Police Department, assists Jeremiah Cunningham, a fellow officer, outside to be treated by medics during a drill to prepare first responders for a response to an active shooting at Hamilton Middle School Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS students Ty Gribble and Noah Fullerton, behind, utilize their medical training to treat Anthony Harris, safety coordinator for Wood County Schools, during an active shooter training Thursday afternoon at Hamilton Middle School. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Destiny Suttles and Levi Stone, both WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS students, practice their emergency response skills on Parkersburg Police Detective Austin Williams Thursday afternoon during an active shooter preparedness training at Hamilton Middle School. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Ryan Bargerstock, a school resource officer with the Parkersburg Police Department, assists Jeremiah Cunningham, a fellow officer, outside to be treated by medics during a drill to prepare first responders for a response to an active shooting at Hamilton Middle School Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
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PARKERSBURG -- Police officers, emergency medical personnel and school officials participated in active shooter response exercises throughout Wood County Schools this week, practicing how multiple agencies would work together during a mass casualty incident.
The training involved Wood County Schools, the Parkersburg Police Department and WVU Medicine Camden Clark Emergency Medical Services, along with other local law enforcement and first responders.
Jeremy Bell, director of safety and security for Wood County Schools, said the district conducts the training annually.
"We do this every year to practice the worst-case scenario in our schools," Bell said. "I don't think a lot of people know that we do this, but it is live training for them."
The exercises allowed police officers and EMS personnel to practice entering a school, locate simulated victims, provide medical care and coordinate their response. Police officers and EMS personnel also volunteered to portray victims during the scenarios.
Bell said the realistic exercises can help responders identify issues that may not become apparent during classroom instruction or tabletop discussions.
"It opens up a lot of our first responders' eyes in an event like this," Bell said. "If something does happen, we're prepared for it."
Personnel from the Wood County Sheriff's Office, Parkersburg Police Department and Vienna Police Department were involved in or scheduled to participate in the training during the week, Bell said.
He thanked the agencies and WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS for committing personnel and resources to the exercises.
"This is good training for literally everybody," Bell said.
Sean Marshall, director of EMS for WVU Medicine Camden Clark, said the exercise was designed as an active shooter and mass casualty incident drill involving EMS and the Parkersburg Police Department's task force.
Marshall said the agencies had wanted to conduct integrated training for some time and organizers hope to include area fire departments in future exercises.
"The whole purpose behind this is for us to run through these drills, build up our staff's confidence and make sure they know what they need to do in these types of situations," he said.
The exercise also provided hands-on experience for students who recently completed testing through the Camden Clark EMS training center. Marshall said they were the first class in the center's history to participate in a drill of that scale.
"They learn this stuff in a classroom setting, but they don't physically get to actually do it," Marshall said. "They got both worlds on this one."
Marshall said he hopes students in future classes will have similar opportunities.
The training focused not only on the responsibilities of each agency but also on communication and coordination between responders. During a real emergency, Marshall said, police, EMS and other agencies would have to operate together in a fast-moving and potentially dangerous environment.
"This was a great opportunity for all of our services to get together and train together, because if this ever did happen, we're all going to be working together," Marshall said. "If we train together, then during these situations, we're going to be more effective, we're going to work better, and it's going to come with better outcomes for everybody."
Marshall also said for those interested in training through WVU Medicine Camden Clark EMS to keep an eye on their social media accounts for applications for the next rotation of training.
Staff Reporter Sophie Wheeler contributed to this article.