'Active shooter' drill held at former Beech Grove hospital - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

There's no doubt law enforcement agencies across the country have been watching closely how police in Aurora, Colorado responded to the mass shooting at a movie theater.

Police in Beech Grove put their skills to the test Tuesday responding to a mock shooting and mass casualty scene inside a former hospital. The exercise was planned well ahead of the Colorado shootings.

Some of the participants in the drill already knew they were slated to get shot by the "gunman." They used theater make up to show their gunshot wounds. One nurse was lying on the floor with a mock gunshot wound to her arm.

The drill started in the morning with lots of classroom instruction. The goal is to know what to do if an active shooter goes on a rampage inside the hospital. The theme of the drill is take action against an active shooter.

Organizers planned this exercise long before what we saw happen in Aurora, Colorado where a gunman opened fire inside a movie theater.

"This process began two to three months ago, originating with MESH Coalition, of which St. Francis is a part of, along with other hospitals here in the Indianapolis metro area. We've been looking at ways to bring our resources along with local law enforcement authorities and figure out how we can work together when these unfortunate scenarios unveil," said Joe Stuteville, St. Francis Hospital.

While Tuesday's scene was just a training exercise, recent events gave it an added sense of reality.

"To be prepared for something like this is to do your homework, get studied up, learn from what just happened in Colorado," said disaster preparedness advisor Kirby Haskins.

The incident in Aurora was one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. A gunman burst into a crowded theater and opened fire, killing 12 and wounding 58 others. Emergency drill organizers say gunfire can break out anywhere. In both scenarios, the gunman got into the hospital through a back door that was left open.

In one drill, the gunman made his way to the emergency room area, where unsuspecting workers were caught off guard.

"It was to see how people would react or would do if the situation was presented with. I don't know what all they were told beforehand," said IMPD Sgt. Brandon Cooper.

While organizers planned the drill long before last week's shootings, they say the life-saving lessons remain the same.

"At a mall, there is a lot of space, so you got to hide. Hide behind something solid. If you are in an office, hide behind some filing cabinets, get behind a thick desk," Haskins said.

"It's a chance to think about how you and your system would handle something like that, how would you prepare and are we prepared," said Wishard emergency physician Dr. Dan O'Donnell.

Now, organizers hope the participants will share this experience with others to help them prepare, just in case.

Would you know what to do in an active shooter situation? If not, click here.

About MESH, Inc.

MESH, Inc. is an innovative non-profit, public-private coalition located in Marion County, Indiana (Indianapolis) that enables healthcare providers to respond effectively to emergency events, and remain viable through recovery.

Recently, MESH Coalition members have embarked on a project to develop and implement a county-wide protocol for active shooter incidents occurring in hospital or healthcare facilities. This protocol is currently in the draft stage and this exercise will be a mechanism for evaluating and testing the draft policy.