EMTs treat a patient in live shooter exercise held for Berkshire County first responders at Drury High School. Participants ran through a number of scenarios to practice how police, fire and EMS would respond in a crisis.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Dozens of police, fire and emergency medical services personnel from around the county were at Drury High School on Saturday morning for an emergency response training exercise.
Trooper Sean C. Barry, a member of the state police STOP Team conducted the "Tactical EMS" exercise along with Amalio Jusino of North Adams Ambulance Service, the vice chairman of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee.
Barry led the first responders through a series of scenarios based on the premise that a shooting had taken place in the school building.
In addition to law enforcement officers learning how to secure areas of the building, other first responders learned how to enter and operate inside a hazardous environment.
Although the specific drills on Saturday dealt with a shooter on scene, Barry said the skills taught could be applied in a number of situations.
"It could be a building collapse, it could be a natural gas explosion, it could be any MCI [mass-casualty incident] you can think of," Barry told the trainees.
With the assistance of Lanesborough EMS Deputy Chief J.D. Hebert, a half-dozen volunteers received makeup to simulate various injuries for the medical personnel to address.
Police officers used plastic simulated firearms throughout the exercise.
The drill had initially been scheduled for Greylock School but was moved at the last minute to Drury.
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