Police And Fire Personnel Practice Combined Response To Active Shooter Situation

FAIRFAX, VA — Service weapons drawn, a trio of Fairfax County Police officers moved in unison down the hallway of an empty Fair Lakes office building on Wednesday morning. They can hear shouts for help coming from behind a door ahead of them to the right.

Once they reached the door, two of the officers pushed it open and entered with their weapons thrust forward. Separating, they scanned the room, sweeping their handguns deliberately from corner to corner.

The third officer remained in the doorway, his back was turned to the room as he looked up and down the hallway for any possible threats.

On the room's floor, three people who'd been shot cried in pain and called for help.

After the two officers had finished searching the room, they signaled that the scene was clear and emergency personnel could begin treating the victims' wounds.

Two Fairfax County Fire & Rescue personnel arrived and began treating two of the victims. Nearby, one of the police officers who had secured the room began offering aid to the other victim

Once the victims' wounds had been secured, they were helped to their feet and the three officers helped the group to exit the room safely.

All of the people involved in the rescue, including the victims, were Fairfax County public safety personnel. They were participating in a joint active shooter training exercise Wednesday morning at a vacant office building in Fair Lakes.

"An active threat is more a matter of 'when' than 'if' in our country today," said Police Chief Kevin Davis. "Police and Fire & Rescue, we have to prepare. We have to build muscle memory. We have to build tactics and strategies."

The most important reason to do the training, according to Davis, was for the men and women who who were going to be called on to mitigate an active threat to build confidence.

"First responders, police and fire, are going to be the ones running toward danger," he said. "And they're going to be the ones that our society, our community expects to communicate to stop danger."

Fairfax Fire & Rescue Chief John Butler explained that it was imperative for the two departments to train together so they could coordinate a swift response to a violent situation.

"First, to stop the threat, and that's what our police department does and does well, and has trained for," he said. "And then also for the Fire & EMS services to stop the dying and the bleeding. That's where we come in."

FCPD Capt. Brian Ruck explained Wednesday's training exercise was designed to simulate a violent incident where victims were present. Such a scenario would require swift response from both departments.

"In older cases, like Columbine, the police department would go in and the fire department staged and waited outside," Ruck said. "We've learned that the faster we can get medical care to people, the better chance for survival."

Both departments began conducting joint training exercises in 2011. Personnel from both departments conduct similar training throughout the year.

"A station captain for the fire department or the police department might reach out to our team and say, 'We want to conduct some training at station level for our groups,' and we'll set that up," Ruck said. "Our instructors will go out and they will actually conduct that training for the squads and conduct that training for the teams and at each station. That happens continuously."

Members of the public who wish to learn how to respond to an act of violence can contact ALERRT, which teaches the CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooting Events) course or Stop The Bleed.