When the ambulance arrived at the scene, glass was broken out in front of the building.
People were waving for help. Two people had been shot.
In the past, Paramedic Lisa Matthews would have waited for police to arrive and make sure the scene was secure. But not this time.
Following their new training, Matthews and her CoxHealth Emergency Medical Services crew rushed into Prairie Mountain Screening in Lockwood early in the morning on Aug. 1, despite a chance the gunman might still be there.
A new philosophy being taught by Cox EMS — in conjunction with other first responders in the area — asks paramedics to be more aggressive in situations with the potential for mass casualties, like industrial accidents or active shooter scenarios.
Instead of waiting, Cox and Mercy paramedics are being told to go in as soon as they determine the scene is "safe enough."
With word that the shooter might have left the t-shirt screen printing business in Lockwood earlier this month, Matthews and her crew rushed inside.