Johnson County fire and police departments are planning a simulated active shooter training together Saturday at Franklin College and Johnson Memorial Hospital.
About 30 public safety personnel and 70 volunteers will participate in a training that will close several local roads, the bottom two floors of Old Main at Franklin College and cordon off a section of the emergency room at the hospital.
Amity Volunteer Fire Department’s training coordinator Brandon Burton is organizing the training to prepare local first responders for a potential active shooter situation. Another Amity firefighter pitched the idea and ran with it after the FedEx Indianapolis shooting hit close to home, he said.
“It could happen at the factories, schools and the fair is coming up. You just never know with the world being as crazy as it is,” Burton said.
The public is urged not to call 911 during the training, which is set for 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Burton said.
The scenario is designed to look like a real active shooter situation, which may include firing blank shots from a gun and victims with make-up simulating gunshot wounds, he said.
“Don’t be alarmed. This is training,” Burton said. “When we do training, we train like this is the real thing.”
Burton plans to personally knock on doors to warn neighbors. Franklin College students living on campus have also been notified via email.
The shooting situation will be staged inside Old Main, but there will be significant activity outside the building, around campus and at JMH.
During the scenario police will practice locating and apprehending the shooter and responding to a hostage situation. Firefighters will practice triaging shooting victims, Burton said.
At the hospital, firefighters will practice handing off patients to emergency room staff, he said.
During the exercise, Monroe Street will be closed from Branigin Boulevard to Forsythe Street; and Henry Street, Hougham Street and Edwards Street will be closed at intersections with Monroe Street.
Firefighters from Franklin, Bargersville, Needham, Nineveh, Trafalgar and White River Township will join Amity for the training. Franklin Police and Johnson County sheriff’s deputies will also join.
The training will be closed to the public, Burton said.
