East Haven First Responders, Cops Run Active Shooter Drill At JMMS

EAST HAVEN, CT — It's the last thing anyone wants to think about — an active school shooter incident. But some must, and they must plan.

Wednesday, medics from the East Haven Fire Department and tactical officers from the East Haven Police Department gathered to run a "tactical emergency casualty" training drill.

"School is out, but the work doesn’t stop," East Haven Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli said. Personnel from both departments met at Joseph Melillo Middle School Wednesday to "work an active shooter training."

Taught by in-house instructors, fire department medics teamed up with tactical police with one very important focus in particular: casualty care.

"The focus is on stopping critical bleeding as soon as possible," Marcarelli said. "That is something that was identified in past active shooter incidents where folks perished before EMS personnel could get to them."

East Haven police Administration and Investigative Services Division commander, and the department's public information officer, Capt. Joseph M. Murgo said the training is a must.

"While we pray we will never have to experience one in East Haven, we are confident that our response to a violent critical incident will effective and thorough," he said. "Working closely with the East Haven Fire Department in an effort to keep our children safe is something we value deeply."