Police And Fire Work Together In Being Prepared For Scenario They Hope Never Occurs
MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Police SWAT Officers worked at a training incident with Manchester Firefighters in a school building to train on multiple scenarios involving a school shooting incident.
Firefighters received training to establish protocols for assisting in evacuating victims in a safe and organized manner so that the victims could be triaged and transported to local hospitals for medical care.
Firefighters wearing tactical protective gear assembled outside at a command post while SWAT officers entered the school to locate the shooter, and make the scene safe for fire and EMS to enter the building.
Police officers acted as victims that had been shot, and were suffering from injuries of varying levels. As victims were evaluated the evacuation was prioritized based on the condition of the patient. Some victims were able to walk while others had to be carried or dragged to a safe location outside of the building.
Manchester Police gave demonstrations on newly acquired gear which is designed to protect the safety of the first responders and to allow for quick entry to buildings.
Firefighters discussed several suggestions they had to allow better and safer access to school and commercial buildings. Medical equipment that the police now have in an evacuation vehicle allowed for cross-training of both departments.
Manchester Fire rotated crews from different stations to offer training to a large number of firefighters. The training which lasted for five hours will be repeated again at different locations and allow more personnel from each department to train.
Training allows the officers and firefighters to be prepared for the dozens of occupied schools in Manchester and also offers training for commercial buildings.
The collaboration between police, fire, and EMS is valuable in preparing for incidents where seconds can make the difference between people surviving their injuries.
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