First responders, security, resort staffs went above and beyond

From the first moments of the shooting, first responders and resort security officers played a critical role in protecting the public and saving lives. A Clark County Fire Department crew that had responded to an unrelated call near the area was among the first on the scene, reporting that concertgoers were running away from the scene amid what sounded like gunfire.

From there, firefighters and ambulance crews would pour into the Strip.

Despite confusion about the location of the shooter and reports of an active shooter, firefighters would form small teams with law enforcement officers and enter resorts and other areas where victims had been taken by concertgoers. Wearing protective gear purchased with Homeland Security grant money, they were able to respond more quickly than if they had waited for the scenes to be cleared for them. Officials credited the tactic, developed in the aftermath of previous mass shootings, with saving numerous lives.

“We saw from the reports (from the shootings at Columbine High School and Aurora in Colorado) of how these people died and the lack of interaction with the police departments and we knew we had to fix that,” Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said.

Meanwhile, up and down the Strip, security officials were locking down their properties and safeguarding those inside. At Mandalay Bay, security staff worked with law enforcement to help locate the shooter.

There, security guard Jesus Campos went above and beyond after he was shot in the leg on the 32nd floor while checking a blocked door, staying on duty and communicating information that aided Metro’s response.

Campos and his colleagues throughout Mandalay Bay — from housekeepers to gaming staff to executives — responded with amazing grace and concern, shepherding people to safety and providing care.

The same can be said at the other hardest-hit resort, the Tropicana, where a huge number of concertgoers rushed to escape the gunfire and receive aid.

It was the Strip’s finest hour. Staff members at every property showed care for visitors.

In assessing the response days later, officials would say cooperation between various departments and security staffs played a critical role. In some communities, various agencies don’t play well together — they can be territorial, even adversarial toward each other.

That didn’t happen on Oct. 1 in Las Vegas, which prevented a tragic situation from being even worse.