Emergency responders train at Merced fairgrounds for shootings

Dozens of emergency responders trained Tuesday at the Merced County Fairgrounds, preparing for a scenario they hope will never happen.

The active-shooter drills began early in the morning and were to continue into the afternoon. Agencies practiced removing injured victims and removing them while tracking down the “shooter.”

“Anytime there’s a mass shooting, law enforcement does an evaluation of the response and tries to figure out ways to improve,” said Merced police Capt. Matt Williams.

Williams said Tuesday’s training focused on getting medical responders on scene quickly.

“One of the problems identified out of the Colorado theater shooting was that medical personnel weren’t allowed into the scene until it was completely secure and the shooter was in custody. It created a situation where victims were left unattended for a considerable amount of time.”

Numerous agencies participated in Tuesday’s training including paramedics, law enforcement and firefighters from Merced County, Atwater, Livingston, Los Banos, Merced and UC Merced and Merced Community College.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Emergency responders train at Merced fairgrounds for shootings."