Mass casualty training taking place at church in Macomb County
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJBK) - The Macomb County Sheriff's Office, along with several fire departments and EMS providers, are conducting special training in Washington Township Tuesday. From 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., they'll undergo a mass casualty training exercise.
This exercise is taking place in Washington Township at 26 Mile and Jewell roads, and is expected to overflow to Van Dyke.
If you pass through this area and see the abundance of police, fire and other emergency vehicles, do not be alarmed. This is just a drill.
Sheriff Anthony Wickersham asks that you do not call 911, loiter in the area, or attempt to interfere with this exercise as it will only hinder this planned training.
The training will take place inside a church, where an active shooter situation will be simulated during a prayer service. Those who need to receive medical aid from the "shooting" will be wrapped in different bandages, we're told.
What to do in an active shooter situation at an event
"When we roll in, you'll see some kids running out ... they'll look like they've been shot. And they'll have folks inside that look like their lives have been taken," says Capt. David Daniels of the Macomb County Sheriff's Department. "Responsibility is to go secure the scene; make the scene safe. Once we do that, our in-command officer here will let the FD know they can roll up and come into the safe zone and start taking bodies out."
FOX 2's Roop Raj was in Las Vegas in the days after the recent mass shooting. He says many first responders and nurses told him they credit their mass casualty training to knowing how to respond effectively.
Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 500 others were injured in the shooting, which happened at an outdoor country music concert.
"In light of the recent Las Vegas shooting, we are continuously training and preparing for the worst in order to keep our citizens safe. This training exercise is one of many that we attend and conduct on a regular basis. We hope the day of mass casualty never arrives in our communities, however, if it does we stay readied and prepared to the best of our abilities," Sheriff Wickersham says.