Monument police and fire officials change active shooter protocol

It’s a scene that’s taken over our TVs time and time again: victims of mass shootings running with their hands in the air from school buildings, while others still stuck inside with injuries. Now Monument police and fire officials are changing protocol in hopes to save more lives.

Instead of waiting behind when the first radio calls come out, police are taking medical personnel inside the building with them to rescue victims. Tri Lakes Fire Chief Chris Truty said they had to evolve with the changing threats. “This is a new risk it’s a new issue that we’re dealing with it’s the way public safety, the community is going to expect this from us and we’re adapting to it,” Truty said. Police and fire officials ran through this new situation in a drill at Bear Creek Elementary, working out the details. Battalion Chief Mike Keough said fire fighters usually don’t go into a building where the bullets are flying. “When I started in the fire service, I never would have imagined that this is something that we would be doing as frontline fire service personnel,” Keough said. In order to help protect them and save the victims, the fire fighters have a bullet proof pack with all the essentials equipment “So there’s a number of tourniquet in here obviously for major extremity hemorrhage,” Keough said.

The goal is to get the victims away from the danger and get them help faster. “The faster we can get our guys in to move them out, they have to get to that trauma surgeon as quickly as possible,” Keough said. Monument police Chief Jacob Shirk said it’s an adjustment that will take some time for people to get used to. “This is very different. But we both believe working together that this will increase the survivability of our community, of our victims,” Shirk said.

Keough said he believes three to seven victims could get help from the packs they are carrying.