Emergency medical responders train for active shooting scenes
During a drill at a vacant Syracuse school in March, an Upstate emergency physician (center, dressed in all blue) escorts wounded patients to a safe place for treatment. Rescuers from the Syracuse City Police and Fire Department and paramedics from Rural/Metro Medical Services also participated in the drill.
Emergency medical personnel are being trained how to safely enter the scene of an active shooting, rather than waiting on the sidelines, said Christian Knutsen, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Upstate. This program, still in the planning stage, is part of a nationwide change that encourages police to confront shooters, Knutsen said, and will create “rescue task forces” that include tactical medical responders who can reach and treat the wounded faster.
