Kerr County public safety officials evaluating results of active-shooter training

Public safety officials and those at Schreiner University and Peterson Medical Center are analyzing the effectiveness of an active-shooter scenario held at the univeristy on Thursday.

The exercise’s purpose was to test and evaluate the hospital’s response and coordination with local law enforcement in an active shooter scenario and mass casualty response.

“Participating in this drill has been invaluable for our team at Peterson Regional Medical Center,” Peterson Health’s Randy Buhidar said. “It provided us with crucial insights into our response protocols and highlighted areas where we can improve to better serve our community in the event of an actual emergency.”

The exercise involved volunteers portraying active shooters and wounded victims. These individuals were then transported to Peterson Regional Medical Center for further simulation. Representatives from the Kerrville Police Department (KPD), Kerrville Fire Department (KFD), Peterson Regional Medical Center, and Schreiner University highlighted the significance of such drills in enhancing coordination, policies, and procedures to provide stabilization and care for potential victims of mass casualty events.

Officials said the two takeaways were:

• Learning from mistakes during drills enhances preparedness for real-world emergencies.
• Collaboration between community emergency management entities and medical facilities is crucial for effective response.

“This allowed nursing students and our high school nursing camp to participate helped enable the next generation of health care professionals to understand the importance of continued training, the skills needed, and the rapid response that is required in the event of a true mass casualty,” said Schreiner University’s Shanna Chapman, who is the director of nursing programs. We look forward to future events.”