On Sunday, October 20th, both the Cathedral City Fire Department and Police Department participated in a massive “active shooter” training operation at Westfield Mall in Palm Desert. The training was a simulation of several active shooters that begin shooting innocent bystanders throughout the mall. The massive training exercise involved all public safety organizations in the entire Coachella Valley simulating real victims, real shooters, and a real shopping environment.
The exercise requires police officers to neutralize the threat, secure the premises, and then escort paramedics in to evaluate, treat, and transport victims for proper medical care.
If you are ever faced with an Active Shooter situation, the Department of Homeland Security offers these main points to remember: Run, Hide, or Fight:
1.Run
• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Leave your belongings behind
• Keep your hands visible
2. Hide
• Hide in an area out of the active shooter’s view.
• Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors
3.Fight
• As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger.
• Attempt to incapacitate the active shooter
• Act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter
After watching this exercise and hearing the shots and screams of the actors playing their roles, you get a real insight into how brave and heroic our first responders are to these life threatening situations.
