Connor Black, the Assistant Chief of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, sat down with the JCEMS news team to discuss a recent active shooter drill conducted on their campus in Daytona Beach, Florida. The drill was a collaboration between students from ERT and the university’s Homeland Security program as well as local law enforcement officers (Daytona PD and Campus Safety). Based on the Rescue Task Force model, Daytona PD and Campus Safety played an invaluable role in the drill by establishing safety for providers and helping guide patient-participants throughout the scenario. The various officers provided clear pathways for the 20 ERT members to bring patients to a large triage and treatment area.
According to Assistant Chief Black, adopting the Rescue Task Force model allowed for the rapid determination of savable victims and efficient escort of both EMTs and patients out of the building. Assistant Chief Black also noted that coordination between multiple organizations created communication challenges during both the planning and implementation phases of the drill. An After Action Review was held to identify areas for improvement in preparation for future drills and potential active shooter incidents. In light of recent mass shootings, Embry-Riddle’s active shooter drill serves as a positive example of how collegiate EMS agencies can collaborate with on-campus and off-campus organizations to maintain safe campuses.
