C.O. police test tactics in ‘shooter’ drill

It took months of planning and more than 300 people to prepare Friday’s “active shooter” drill on COCC’s Bend campus, the largest held in the region.

There were numerous agencies involved and several layers to the scenario. And there were planners and responders who didn’t know the details of the drill.

It started in Modoc Hall and extended to Jefferson Hall, where several people were reported “wounded.” Police responders were involved after a volunteer made an actual call to 911 dispatch at 9:15 a.m.

“The shooter was actually sprinting to places,” said participant Shawn Horton.

The “shooter” was played by a police officer. He shot blank rounds and flash bangs to make it as realistic as possible.

More than 60 citizen volunteers participated as well. They played roles ranging from bystanders to victims.

The first officials to respond were campus public safety.

“It was kind of really real to me,” Horton said. “To see him (the shooter) running towards the door, then me opening it and falling, pretending I was hurt.”

The drill was designed to be real not only for him, but for officials, too.

“We try to have the planners and the responders,” said Bend fire Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki.

Police were on the scene just five minutes after the first call, at 9:20 a.m.

“With my wound, before I got talked to? It was probably five or six minutes,” Horton said.

At that point, detectives arrived, and the first evacuees were walking down the hill.

“There is just so much going on,” Bend police Lt. Nick Parker.

In the first 10 minutes of the drill, dispatch was getting many citizen calls. There were reports of two shooters. In “reality,” there was only one, but Parker said in real-life situations like this, information can quickly get conflicting and confusing.

A command center was set up to give clear information over each police and fire frequency. The heads of each department were there to ensure information was understood throughout each agency.

By 9:30 a.m, the suspect was reported “down,” and 10 minutes later, police confirmed there was only one shooter.

“We’re really looking at the way we handle the situation — our responses, resources, training,” Parker said.

The first ambulance made its way to the scene at 9:51 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, the first of three victims was brought to the triage area.

All make-believe, but it’s very important to prepare for the worst, especially when so many agencies could be involved.

“We gained the confidence that we can trust each other and work together real easily,” Derlacki said.

“It was kind of surreal,” Horton said.

The event is so real for participants that they are debriefed immediately afterward. Law enforcement will have an in-depth debriefing later this month.