Four security officers creep down the hospital’s hallway, guns poised, as they check each door.
"This room is clear," one says.
"There’s an injured person here," another says.
Three shots are fired. The officers turn immediately toward the sound.
This was the scene at Lanier Park Hospital on Friday as the Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s security staff trained for a nightmare situation: an armed attack at the hospital.
"When people come to the hospital — whether it’s to visit, for treatment or for work — they expect to be kept safe," said Andrew Corsaro, director of security and emergency preparedness for the hospital. "This is a viable threat in any business, and we’ve
developed specific policies and procedures for security and general staff."
Friday’s training was the hands-on experience to top off a week of instruction about active shooter threats. Hospital security staff worked alongside officers from the Gainesville Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol in multiple scenarios involving armed men with guns, knives and even hostages.
"We switch it up because they have to be able to make quick decisions, which is difficult when you don’t know what you’re dealing with," said Tzviel "BK" Blankchtein, president of Masada Tactical, a Maryland-based tactical training company that operates worldwide.
Blankchtein served in the Israeli Defense Forces as an infantry reconnaissance team member and has taught active shooter training for about five years.
"Unfortunately the health industry is probably at the highest risk for this kind of attack," he said. " We’ve got to get them ready."
In each scenario, officers would switch roles and tactics.
"It’s a total reversal of what you’ve been trained," Tommy Crosswell, supervisor of security at the hospital, said about playing the role of a shooter. "But you see the advantages and knowledge they have."
Though the guns are fake and loaded with plastic projectiles, the small bullets can leave a bruise. The realistic stress and hands-on scenarios are important for putting policy into motion, Crosswell said.
"When you hear the shots, smell the gunpowder and then have a visual of shooter, your three sense really pull you into the moment," he said. "You have to do these things repetitively so it becomes second nature and you don’t go into a real situation blindly."
The participants had a unique opportunity to work in the vacant emergency room sector of Lanier Park.
"This is a perfect place to train realistically, and we don’t have to operate around patients," said Adam Kelley, security services supervisor of the hospital.
After each minutes-long scenario, Blankchtein debriefed the group and gave advice for improvements.
"Don’t kick in a door to clear a room; that’s Hollywood," he said after one team searched a hall in the dark, looking for a shooter with flashlights. "Remember to use radio communication and transition between ‘active shooter’ and ‘search for contact’ modes. You have to calm down and do your job."
Using every resource is the biggest advantage, Kelley said.
"You have the opportunity beforehand to know the nooks and crannies of this building, unlike local law enforcement, so prepare yourself in order to be thorough and clear all the rooms quickly," he said. "This is your home. Defend it."