The Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in December shocked the country. Now leaders in Pulaski County are making sure they know what to do if a similar situation were to ever happen here.
"There's a shooter!" shouts a woman in a school hallway. The shooter may be fictional in this scenario. But Emergency Responders are practicing in case it ever becomes a reality. "We do everything we think would happen in a real situation," said Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer.
This training exercise is simulating an active shooter in a school. They're practicing dealing with everything from the gunshots to treating wounded students.
Over a dozen agencies across Pulaski County and the state are working together to make sure they can handle any situation. Pulaski County Sheriff, Michael Gayer say this is the first time in his 32 years in law enforcement that they've done a training exercise of this magnitude. "Violence in America is increasing dramatically and we want to be able as first responders to show up and deliver our best game," said Gayer.
As a parent and teacher in Pulaski County, Erica Richwine, is thankful this training is happening. "Nobody can guarantee that a situation like that will not come to this area. But it's nice to know they're pro active and working the best they can to be prepared," said Richwine.
It's giving everyone hands on experience but also some things to think about in the future. "We've got a whole list of things, what can we do differently, what's working well and how can we improve and that's the whole part of the drill," said Linda Webb the Chief Nurse Executive at Pulaski Memorial Hospital.
Because if it ever isn't just a drill, it's very important to get the response right. ""It's all about the kids and we want to do what's best for them," said Richwine.
Several active shooter scenarios were practiced, including a hostage situation.
