DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — It's a sign of the times we live in.
Active shooter trainings have become a necessary tool for law enforcement.
One played out at Mason Creek Middle School in Douglas County Wednesday.
Douglas County did a similar drill about 5 years ago, but officials felt it was time to do it again on a much larger scale.
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“An individual will walk into the school, take hostages and injure and kill several people,” said Sgt. Jesse Hambrick, Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office.
That was the scenario.
The call went out. Deputies rushed in.
“When they get to the school basically they’re blind they don’t know what’s happening on the inside,” said Sgt. Hambrick.
Three hundred people, from actors to officers, took part in the active shooter training in Douglas County.
“What we’ve done is take a great deal of time this morning to get our volunteers made up. They have specific injuries, gunshots, abrasions, broken bones,” said Hambrick.
Planning for the drill took six months.
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“We’re not only going through the active shooter part and response, but we also have the school board on board and we’ll run through reunification of students with parents,” he said.
Next came the helicopter.
“We’re going to transport 12 victims if you will from here to the hospital, so the hospital will be tested today on what it’s like to get a flood of people come in at the same time,” said Sgt. Hambrick.
Local and state officials were there to witness everything unfold, including lawmakers like Georgia House Rep. Rick Jasperse.
Jasperse is the chairman of the School Safety Study Committee that will meet throughout the summer.
Members watched and asked questions of law enforcement.
“That’s what we’ve got to do, find gaps in the law maybe or in funding that we may could do something about and we will,” Jasperse said.
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