In the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church Thursday, Springfield police officers, armed with guns, ushered in three Springfield firefighters wearing bulletproof vests and neon orange medical kits.
Lying in the different rooms were firefighters playing victims. Red stickers mimicked gunshot wounds.
With no active shooter in sight, the police officers gave the firefighters free rein to tend to the victims.
“We are simply going to treat, treat, treat as far as we can go,” Battalion Chief Jerry Pettit announced to the firefighters in the room.
Thursday’s drill was one of several conducted by the Springfield Fire Department in the church basement. In the course of three days, more than 150 firefighters were trained in the new way the Springfield Fire and Police departments are going to handle active shooter and mass casualty events.
Now, instead of waiting to give medical attention to gunshot victims a block away, firefighters will go in with police officers to be able to give immediate care.