Navy Trauma Training Center (NTTC) partnered with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) to conduct a joint active shooter drill, Feb. 21.

The collaborated effort also included Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center (LAC/USC) personnel and members of the local fire department. The drill aimed to ensure all parties are adequately trained to respond in the event of an active shooter scenario.

LASD kicked off the evolution by conducting a presentation on awareness.

"The goal of the brief was to raise basic awareness and protocols for identifying and managing an active shooter situation in any workplace or communal area," said NTTC director Cmdr. Michael Kearns. "Although the scenarios were tailored to identify and react to an active shooter scenario in NTTC spaces, it really provided all parties involved with a guideline on proper procedures to follow when faced with this type of situation in any possible daily setting."

Following the brief, drills emphasized realism during the scenario. LASD members acted as active shooters with handguns filled with blank ammunition. The "shooters" fired blank rounds at actors pretending to be bystanders outside the NTTC main hallway and an emergency was called over the hospital announcement system. Staff reacted on a moment's notice to ensure the Navy standardized active shooter response of "Run, Hide, Fight" was followed to keep everyone safe.

"We hear two or three loud gunshots and 'Code Silver' over the intercom, and next thing we know there is an active shooter entering our classroom spaces," said Chief Hospital Corpsman Jose Rayos, NTTC's senior enlisted leader. "During the first scenario, we were able to have all staff and students successfully evacuate the hospital and meet in our designated mustering spot for accountability. The second time around, though, we had no choice but to hunker down, blockade the entrances, and hide in our simulation room."

During both scenarios, LASD was able to subdue the "suspect' without any NTTC staff "casualties." An all-hands debriefing after the drills emphasized the collaborative effort and how it helped to solidify lessons and techniques taught for responding to an active shooter scenario.

"We would like to thank the LASD for taking the time and effort to conduct the drill for us," said Kearns. "This evolution provided us with the most real-world approach to handle this type of situation if we are ever faced with it, in both our Navy careers as well as out in the community."

NTTC, a detachment of Navy Medicine Operational Training Center, is part of the Navy Medicine team -- a global health care network of Navy medical professionals around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than 1 million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ships, in the air, under the sea, and on the battlefield.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Navy Medicine Operational Training Center, visit http://www.navy.mil/.