Emergency Medical students at the University of Arizona participated in an active shooter drill to test their responses in emergency situations.
The scenario those students faced was a mock mass shooting at University Medical Center South Behavioral Health Pavilion.
The exercise was overseen by Dr. Daniel Beskind, director of emergency medical services at Banner – University Medical Center South.
“It’s vital for emergency responders to prepare for a large-scale disaster, like a mass shooting or natural disaster,” Dr. Beskind says. “We’re seeing more and more of these incidents occur in the real world and we need to show our residents how to manage an unexpected mass influx of patients.”
More than 50 volunteers including EMTs, and medical students from U of A treated people with mock injuries such as gunshot wounds and lacerations.
“It’s important for us to do drills regularly and learn from our mistakes and where we can improve,” Dr. Beskind explains. “That way, if disaster ever strikes, we will be better prepared.”
After the drill organizers debriefed the students on what they did right, and what could have been improved about their responses.
