On April 15th, 2018 Calvert Health Medical Center hosted an armed intruder/active shooter drill. Several weeks of planning culminated into a full scale exercise with nearly 100 participants from Calvert Health, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Calvert Advanced Life Support, and several civilian “actors.” The drill tested the response of all participating agencies in accordance with the protocols and procedures that are set in place to handle them. While an active shooter event is usually a police-driven incident, the staff of the Calvert Health Medical Center gained insight into what a real active shooter situation would involve.
Participants learned a great deal during the drill, and the after-action “Hotwash,” in which everyone involved shared personal experiences and lessons learned in a group setting, was just as beneficial. First Responders were able to answer questions and provide additional feedback while the situations were still fresh for the participants. Sheriff Mike Evans stated, “The police learn as much from the public as the public learns from us, we need to continue these drills and the natural dialogue that comes with them.”
