Hospital and First Responder Personnel Prepare for the Unimaginable During Recent Active Shooter Drill

For centuries, hospitals have symbolized places for hope, comfort and healing. The last thing few people would ever think about is a catastrophic crime scene at a healthcare facility.

Unfortunately, as gun violence occurs at a greater frequency in schools, health care facilities and other public institutions, local first responders and hospital officials work collaboratively to conduct annual drills to prepare employees on how to respond and react to an active shooter incident and prepare for treating a surge of patients due to a mass causality. 

“For decades, Fisher-Titus Medical Center has conducted drills to prepare for unplanned crises related to natural and chemical disasters, such as inclement weather, fires or explosions,” says Brent Burkey, MD, President and CEO, Fisher-Titus Medical Center.  “Now, many hospitals and health systems, including Fisher-Titus, conduct drills to help employees prepare and react specifically for treating victims of a firearms attack.”

“The unfortunate reality is that a mass shooting could happen at any time, even locally in Norwalk.  These simulations help train our staff on how to prepare and respond,” he added.

In concert with emergency first responders – Citizen’s Ambulance, Huron River Joint Fire District, Bellevue Fire, Milan Township Fire, Berlin Township Fire, Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Monroeville Police Department – Fisher-Titus rehearsed its response to the deadly consequences of an armed attack.  The drill took place on July 11 and 12 at Janotta & Herner, a local commercial construction firm in Monroeville.  Fisher-Titus also conducted an active shooter drill on the hospital campus in April 2024.

“Similar to health care, in the building trades, pre-planning is just as important as the actual construction on the job. Having a blueprint for a job seems relatively straightforward, but sometimes factors are out of your control,” says Tyler Wasserman, Director of Business Development, Janotta & Herner.  “Helping our local hospital and first responders by offering a location to practice for the exercise was the least we could do to bring our community together and prepare, as much as humanly possible, for the unthinkable.”        

“While we pray this type of situation never happens locally, we cannot ignore that fact that it is possible. Education and preparedness are key to saving lives,” says Burkey. “The hospital’s mission is to serve this community – and Fisher-Titus takes that obligation seriously, even during the most catastrophic events.”