GILES COUNTY, Va. – It started with makeup. And then a meeting of the minds -- Carilion Giles Community Hospital staff and local law enforcement working together to host a massive multi-agency emergency drill.
"We began training our staff a few years ago. It's an unfortunate part of our society these days, so what we wanted to do was take that education and put it into practice," said Mick Reed, manager of police and security services with Carilion western region.
When the clock struck 7, it was all hands on deck. A side of the hospital was blocked off as the active shooter drill began. Law enforcement officers of all kinds hit the hallway, checking patient rooms and using the hospital's technology to track the shooter. It was a drill of epic proportions for the hospital and a chance it to interact with agencies like the Giles County Sheriff's Office.
"Our hope is that we have created a system and a community partnership so that in the event that something like this happens we can respond both as an individual and as a team," said Reed.
In today's society, law enforcement officers are constantly training, especially for active shooter situations. Thursday night was just one more piece of the puzzle -- one more way to better prepare and protect.
"Our society has changed. We want to make sure that if something does happen here or any other hospital that we have been trained to handle the situation," said Morgan Millirons, Giles County Sheriff.
The drill has been in the planning stages for about a year. Because the drill was confined to just one side of the hospital, patients and care areas of the hospital were not affected.