Police recruits take part in mock mass causality training exercise
MARQUETTE — With weapons drawn and their heads on a swivel, recruits with the NMU Regional Police Academy put their classroom training to the ultimate test.
“We’re trying to open up the scope a little bit,” said Sgt. Adam Maynard of NMU Public Safety.
The recruits took part in a mock mass causality incident after an active shooting took place.
“Their role will be to go in, triage the patients who need treatment and evacuate them to definitive care,” said Maynard.
The exercise took place Friday morning inside NMU’s Lee Hall. Some recruits rendered first aid, while others cleared each of the rooms on the first floor.
“All week we’ve been working with EMS working on different things when it comes to triage, treating the patients whether it’s direct pressure, banging, splinting, that stuff. You don’t really get the realism like this just sitting in the classroom,” said Maynard.
While treating the victims, the active shooter was still somewhere in the building, keeping recruits on their toes.
“Just understanding that you have to take that extra second to breathe,” said Sgt. Maynard. “You need to realize that there’s a lot more going on. You have to take care of yourself first. Ultimately got to have officer safety in mind, but we’ve got to get in and help these people under these circumstances.
The Marquette City Fire Department and Duke LifePoint EMS also took part in the training exercise.