Mass first responders focus on communication and teamwork in active shooter exercise

By Stephen Hagan
Gloucester Daily Times

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA, Mass. — About 90 Cape Ann first responders arrived in Manchester-by-the-Sea over the weekend for an active shooter exercise at Memorial Elementary School.

The training, known as the “Integrated Response to Active Attack” course, started on Saturday and continued on Sunday. It involved classroom teaching, but gave firefighters and police in Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea the experience of participating in real-life simulated situations.

It was also aimed to strengthen the ties between departments.

On Sunday, police and firefighters gathered in the school parking lot to respond to a mock active shooter incident that left multiple “deaths” inside the school. Some were armed with Glock 17T training pistols, which fired blanks during the exercise.

As a practice to improve radio communications, those inside the school informed those gathered outside of the status of the mock attack.

“‘The suspect is dead,'” an officer said into the police radio. “The suspect is in custody.”

Several “patients” were then carried to a waiting ambulance parked in front of Memorial School.

John Mazza, statewide director of the Active Shooter Hostile Incident Response unit, part of the Massachusetts Enforcement Agency for Public Safety and Security, said there can never be too much training.

“You never know if and when it’s going to happen,” Mazza said at the scene.

Communication and collaboration

Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shears, who led the drill, told participants that in a real active shooter incident, communication and cooperation are essential.

He said it will be imperative to “establish a unified command,” establish ties with unfamiliar police and firefighters on the scene, and manage all aspects of a true public safety response — including keeping the area safe.

“When you meet someone, reach out and shake their hand,” Shears said. “We will fight together.”

Shears pointed to a recent crash in Merrimac where authorities responded to a fake emergency call at a school. He said parents arrived almost as quickly as public safety officials; in this case within four minutes of the initial call to the police.

“They need to be taken care of, too,” Shears said.

Rockport police Chief John Horvath said conducting the drills in the controlled environment at Manchester Memorial School helped build trust and understanding for each of the participants.

“Collaboration includes a coordinated emergency response so our staff can work together effectively,” he said. “The training emphasizes the importance of having a unified plan that integrates the role of law enforcement to neutralize threats and fire (and) EMS personnel to provide medical care and evacuate victims.”

The training introduces common communication protocols that will ensure “all teams are on the same page” and minimize the potential for miscommunication, Horvath said.

“Our goal is a faster, safer and more efficient emergency response that can save lives and reduce the damage caused by a critical incident,” he said. “We are determined to provide this service to our communities at the highest level,” he said.

Essex Fire Chief Ramie Reader said his department regularly trains to improve emergency response skills. He said the weekend training adds to the knowledge police and fire officers need to have.

“We’ve been doing a lot of active shooter training over the last few years,” Reader said. “You can never do enough.”

Essex police chief Paul Francis said the importance of planning and coordination was emphasized in the training.

“I think it’s a great thing,” he said. “This type of training has evolved over the years. “The idea is to blend police and EMS/firefighters.”

First responders on Cape Ann have developed protocols that promote smooth emergency responses, and Reader said they have a lot of experience coordinating related responses.

Weekend training only helps, Francis said.

“The goal is to get medical aid to the victims as quickly as possible,” he said. “It saves lives. We do many things together. We know each other and work well together. God forbid, there was an incident in one of our schools. Manchester, Rockport and Essex are coming.”

Manchester-by-the-Sea police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said the training’s active shooter drills were timely in light of recent mass shootings.

“You see what’s happening all over the country,” he said. “Whether it’s in a school setting or at a city hall, it’s important to be prepared for an active shooter we need to respond to. I think we need to get everyone on the same page, whether it’s the police or the fire department. The aim is to bring all communities together.

“It is important that we all work together to make the response a seamless and seamless process.”

(c)2024 Gloucester Daily Times (Gloucester, Mass.)
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