On Friday an Active Shooter Drill was hosted by the staff at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Friday. Planning for the drill was ongoing for several weeks with Friday being the actual drill. Hospital administrator Jr. Briner along with Dr. Diamond helped coordinate the exercise with local law enforcement and fire departments.
Chief Chris Kirksey and the Walnut Ridge Police Department took the law enforcement lead on the exercise merging his officers with other officers from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas State Parks and others. Chief Frank Owens took the lead with the Walnut Ridge Fire Department coordinating victim recovery with the local ambulance services once the scene was safe.
Teams were dispatched by the Lawrence County Dispatch to two different scenarios at the hospital, Officers entered the building and cleared rooms until the active shooter was found. This allowed different agencies to merge together and train together in the event this type of disaster were to occur in our area.
After the two scenarios were concluded there was a meeting to discuss future training plans and to discuss any shortfalls of the drill on Friday. WRPD Chief Kirksey, WRFD Chief Frank Owens, Arkansas State Police Investigator Creston Hutton and Sheriff Jeff Yates all stated they believed the drill was a great success and agreed that further training was crucial for all involved.
For more information on the Walnut Ridge Police Department visit www.cityofwalnutridge.com .
For more information on the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office visit www.lawrencecountysheriffsoffice.com .
For more information on the Walnut Ridge Fire Department visit www.walnutridgefd.com.
For more information on Lawrence Memorial Hospital visit www.lawrencehealth.net.