PMH prepares for the worst with shooter drill
Pioneers Memorial Hospital didn’t officially say it, but the message was pretty clear.
“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best” was the message behind a live shooter exercise the hospital coordinated with several agencies Thursday morning.
“It’s part of life now, you can say what you want about it, but we want to be prepared for whatever eventuality is out there,” said Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Chief Operating Officer Steven Campbell of Thursday’s exercise that included the Brawley Police Department, Imperial County Behavioral Health Department, Brawley Fire Department, PMHD volunteers, Brawley Union High School drama class and the Imperial Valley College’s fire academy.
The exercise started with a suspect running into the hospital’s conference room with an assault rifle and commenced a simulated shooting spree. He proceeded until intercepted by law enforcement. Those wounded then received attention.
The attention to detail was as immaculate as possible, even members of the working media were asked to participate by being barred to a certain area as the drill unfolded — because in an actual shooting media wouldn’t be as close to the danger as in a drill … or at least shouldn’t be.
BUHS Drama Club students played the role of victims with various injuries, some flesh wounds, some fatalities, with paramedics and hospital staffers providing them care immediately after the gunman was stopped.
While there were police vehicles and firefighter engines parked across the parking lot at the hospital, signs were placed through the property notifying visitors that it was only a practice drill.
“It helps to get all the agencies together,” said Brawley Police Officer Arnold Valdez, who was assisting with the exercise. “I think it’s important that everybody get together, from city government, to city workers, not just in businesses, but also at your home, when you go to the mall … do you have a plan as a family?”
The exercise was also filmed to help coordinators improve on any weaknesses of the drill.
“(Without) the help of all the agencies, we wouldn’t be here today to do this exercise, but now our staff is better-prepared, better-equipped through this exercise we did, to provide safety for our patients, our visitors and our staff here at Pioneers,” said PMHD Director of Marketing and Public Affairs Frank Salazar. “We also need to be prepared here in Imperial County.”
With the shooting in San Bernardino that happened only a few months ago, the realization that a shooting can happen anywhere is one of the factors that motivated officials to host the exercise.
“Hopefully something like this will never happen again, but we all know it probably will,” said Campbell. “A hospital is a vulnerable place because we’re open to visitors, patients and everybody else who needs care at any time … it’s just something we need to be prepared for.”