March 29, 2024

Converge on Berg

Several first-responder agencies hold massive drill at Berg Complex

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“OK, we’ll pick up Foster when we get there. Let’s load up.”

Those were the words of Newton Police Department Lt. Wayne Winchell on Wednesday afternoon before a four-man team deployed in an armored vehicle. He was referring to fellow NPD officer Brian Foster, the school resource officer for Newton High School, as the group began its role in Wednesday’s massive active-shooter response drill at the Berg School Complex.

Several law enforcement and fire agencies, along with personnel from Skiff Medical Center, Jasper County Emergency Management, the Newton Community School District, Mercy One emergency medical helicopter service and dozens of student and adult volunteers took part in the drill. Using the scenario of an active shooter in the school, the drill, unique in its scope for Jasper County, tested the readiness of every agency involved, and their ability to handle a situation as a team.

“I think it was a success from the standpoint of every agency showed it’s trained well enough to accomplish its mission,” said Jasper County Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Sparks. “We really tested our inter-operability, and saw some of the challenges we have, especially in communications.”

The drill scenario featured a single active shooter, students and adults in the Berg Middle School cafeteria and classrooms. The shooter “killed” five people before being shot by police, and 11 “patients” were taken to a triage area and to Skiff Medical Center. Some patients were treated in the Berg Middle School cafeteria, and a Mercy One helicopter landed on the BMS football field for a “drill transport,” with no one actually getting a helicopter ride.

Shell casings were scattered in various hallways for law enforcement to notice. Role-playing volunteers were made up with fake gunshot wounds, and, in some cases, labeled “dead.”

Police S.W.A.T teams then had to secure the two-school complex, going through every classroom, closet and restroom. Planned to possibly last far into Wednesday afternoon, the drill was mostly wrapped up in less than two hours.

The group then met in the Berg Elementary School after the exercise was completed to discuss how things went.

Sparks asked all participants to complete evaluation forms, and went around the room to get feedback on unexpected challenges or elements that didn’t go smoothly.

Several of the comments were about communication. Between radios that didn’t work well in some parts of the Berg buildings to switching channels to knowing which areas had been secured, the agencies showed that working in that type of situation involves a great deal of teamwork.

Newton Schools Director of Business Services Gayle Isaac said that when 911 was dialed from Berg, the P.A. system became disabled. Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Aaron Groves said there were some communication gaps, especially as his team got further into the building.

In the early part of the drill, especially as S.W.A.T. teams entered the building, following radio traffic was difficult, and transmissions sometimes “walked on” each other.

One classroom, where five students and a teacher were located as part of the scenario, were still in that classroom when the exercise ended. Foster said that was due to the occupants thinking the shooter was doing the knocking when police announced themselves, unable to hear through the heavy door.

Grinnell Fire Chief Dan Sicard, who was one of the outside parties observing the drill, said it appeared there were “lots of commanders” rather than one central person in charge of the building.

Another issue was whether a triage center had been set up in a secure area.

Everyone who spoke after the drill sounded pleased overall to be able to gain knowledge from the experience. Not only did each group demonstrate its skills, but it also learned what must be improved in the event of similar scenario in real life.

Sparks said much of the training would apply to a wide variety of public-safety issues, beyond active-shooter situations. He said he was pleased the agencies took the time to engage in an important exercise of this magnitude.

“I’m grateful we have awesome people around here who are willing to do a drill like this,” he said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com