The Salem Police Department, Salem Fire Protection District, and United Medical Response coordinated an active shooter/threat event at Hawthorn Grade School on Saturday.
Salem Police Deputy Police Chief Susan Miller says its key that there is coordination between all first responder agencies to provide effective care of victims to maximize their survivability.
Miller says police make the first entrance to the building.
“We know in these types of active threat situations we may have a shooter that the officers will have to use deadly force. Sometimes the shooter will surrender and sometimes commit suicide. And the officers have to determine what level of force they need to use depending on the situation that is presented to them. So they may have to de-escalate back to negotiating or making other arrangements for that subject.”
After the situation is contained, teams of firefighters join the rescue effort to get victims out of the way of danger and to get those injured to an area where their injuries can be assessed.
Salem Grade School Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe got a firsthand look at the preparations by being inside the school when the threat developed.
“Being part of the scenario, playing the victim gives you an idea of what it would be like and to have that practice to communicate with the police, to tell them where the threat is or where the person may be. I think the practicing makes us more aware of our building, where to go and how to handle a situation where the police would need to be here on site.”
This is the second Rescue Task Force Training held in Salem. The first was in 2018, with another session planned in 2020 being cancelled due to COVID_19.
The course has been approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to apply toward the new training mandates for Emergency Medical Response and Scenario based training. The Rescue Task Force Instructors are Salem Police Sergeant Blake Phillips, Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Greg Miller, and CEO and Chief Paramedic with United Medical Response Carl Dunn.
Miller notes during an active shooter/threat event, victims and by-standers are the true first responders. They will need to care for each other until law enforcement and other responders can arrive. The Stop the Bleed Program, started in 2015, trains civilians how to help each other in the beginning moments of an active shooter/mass casualty event. Citizens interested in being prepared can go online to learn how to take a ‘Stop the Bleed’ course.

Helping a victim inside Hawthorn School who was injured in the mock intruder drill.

Emergency medical personnel access the condition of those most seriously injured in a mock school intruder drill.