Mass Casualty Exercise at Metro Tech Scheduled for March 7th, 2024

Metro Tech Plans for Active Shooter Training Alongside Local First Responders 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Metro Tech will coordinate its annual Crisis Response Exercise on Thursday, March 7th, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. on the Springlake Campus, 1900 Springlake Dr., in partnership with various community agencies, including first responder units, military personnel and law enforcement.

Metro Tech coordinates the exercise in partnership with various local entities such as the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD), Oklahoma City Fire Department (OCFD), Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), Medical Emergency Response Center (MERC), Regional Medical Response System (RMRS), Army National Guard and the U.S. Airforce.

The exercise will replicate an active shooter scenario. Approximately 80 subjects, played by various volunteers, will act as deceased or injured victims around the exercise area. The scenario begins with three armed men firing at several individuals in the parking lot of the Economic Development Center, 1700 Springlake Dr., before moving inside the building to continue their attack.

The goal of the exercise, however is to provide mass casualty scenario training for students of Metro Tech's Public Safety Academy (PSA) and Healthcare programs alongside local first responder agencies, allowing all parties to improve their knowledge, skills and competencies.

Metro Tech Health Careers Center Lab Simulation and Skills Coordinator Josie Scott has coordinated the event since 2008 and said it serves as an excellent training opportunity for students and partnering first responder units alike.

"First responders and healthcare workers have to be prepared for these events when they occur,” Scott said. "We offer this training to our students in collaboration with local first responders to enhance our understanding of how we all work together to protect and serve our community."

According to the scenario, an exchange of gunfire between the assailants and security officers will leave both parties injured. Incorporating this within the scenario allows students to learn the correct procedures to follow when dealing with injured assailants.

“This exercise gives our students a safe environment to work with experienced professionals and learn what skills are needed for a similar scenario once they enter the field,” OCPD Master Sergeant Lance Whitney, Law Enforcement Cadet Program Coordinator, said.

Metro Tech Cosmetology students will practice their special effects makeup skills to prepare the scene's victims by creating visible, realistic wounds and injuries. Digital Cinema students will also participate by capturing photos and videos.

Public Safety Academy students will assist and shadow at the casualty site with members of the Oklahoma City Police and Fire Departments.

The Metro Tech Health Careers Center, 1720 Springlake Dr., will act as the hospital and emergency room. EMSA units will transport the wounded from the scene to the emergency room operated by students of the Practical Nursing program.

Pre-nursing students will transport patients from the ER to X-ray, and students of the Radiologic Technology program will conduct both stationary and mobile exams. Patients could also be "transferred" to the operating room, where Surgical Technology students will practice their skills on various deceased specimens.

Medical Office students will assist in the admissions process of patients and act as administrative assistants in the ER. Medical Assisting students will also be seeing patients within their walk-in clinic at the hospital.

Military agencies, including the Oklahoma Army National Guard and U.S. Airforce, will contribute by providing experienced medical triage personnel to work alongside healthcare students within the hospital. In addition, The Oklahoma National Guard will be landing a helicopter in the field west of the site.

The exercise will also act as a practice scenario for members of Metro Tech's Emergency Operations Team to practice and improve communications, mitigation and preparedness.

Upon the event's completion, participants can attend a debriefing in the District Center, where the Oklahoma Trauma Recovery Network will deliver a debrief of the event while discussing the impact a mass casualty event can have on the mental health of all involved.

Metro Tech Superintendent Aaron Collins said this event's planning, preparation, and completion is a vital experience for the district's students, officials, and local agencies.

"This event is a collaborative effort that allows our students and local first responders to engage in real-world training," Collins said. "As scenarios like this become more prevalent in our society, we want to ensure our students are equipped with competence and confidence, ensuring they are thoroughly prepared upon graduating from Metro Tech."

Metro Tech officials will send out reminders about the upcoming exercise to ensure the public is aware of the event and not alarmed by the presence of emergency vehicles and activity. The public is asked to keep their distance from the Springlake Campus during the time of exercise, which will be 8:30 a.m. to Noon.

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