LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In order to be better equipped to handle real-life emergencies, multiple local agencies came together Thursday for a day of joint training exercises.
Using blanks to simulate real gunshots and fake blood for the wounded, local police, fire and EMS trained for active shooter situations.
"Unfortunately, situations like this become more and more common place," said Capt. Gary Grassi, a field training officer with Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMIS. "With recent events downtown, the recent mayoral candidate shooting as well as across the nation, they become more common place, and we have to be proactive."
Grassi, in coordination with safety instructors from Louisiana State University, helped host the training. Officials said the purpose is to allow people from different agencies to see what it is like to respond to events together and learn the best ways to communicate.
"In days past, law enforcement trained only with law enforcement, fire trained just with fire and the EMS folks just did the same thing," said Chris Kotecki, the lead subject matter expect with the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training.
HAPPENING NOW | Police, fire and EMS are teaming up for active aggressor training sponsored by Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMS. We’ll take you inside the training, today on @WDRBNews. pic.twitter.com/KR3QLIvAGr
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 17, 2022
"We can't do that anymore. We have to train as a first responder community, all together, and foster these relationships."
Kotecki and other instructors travel the country, helping run trainings and sharing what they've learned from other agencies.
"Our role is basically to bring some of the best practices that we see across the country to first responders," he said. "What we do is we give them a concept and allow them to trial that and see how that might improve their standard operating procedures and/or their guidelines and how to respond to these kind of incidents."
Kotecki said learning the best language to use that is easily understood across multiple agencies is a big part of the trainings.
"It's the first step of reaching out to responders out there and basically understanding if an event like this happens, who do I need to talk to and who is going to be in charge," he said.
PREPARING FOR THE WORST | Right now police, fire & EMS are conducting training at Anchorage Middletown Fire EMS so that responders are better equipped to handle a real disaster. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/WpDDDXWmIb
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 17, 2022
"The issues we will face and the challenges this training also tries to address is the communication piece," Grassi added. "It's important to know that we will be operating on multiple radio frequencies, multiple channels with multiple local state and federal agencies."
Grassi said more than 30 police, fire and EMS personnel, along with nine instructors, took part in the event.
Alongside Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department Homeland Security, Louisville Metro Police, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Jeffersontown Police and Middletown Police took part in the training.
