EIRMC holding active shooter drill Thursday
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IDAHO FALLS — Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center will be holding an active shooter drill Thursday morning in an effort to train employees.
The drill will begin at 9 a.m. and last around a half-hour, although it will only impact each unit in the hospital for 3-4 minutes, according to hospital spokeswoman Coleen Niemann.
“We have three different actors with specified routes and there will be a uniformed officer with each actor whose role will be to make sure nobody misinterprets the drill,” Niemann tells EastIdahoNews.com. “An observer with be with each actor to make an asssessment on whether people are following the protocols.”
The primary objective of the drill is to train employees on the “run, hide, fight” response to an active shooter. The hospital is partnering with the Idaho Falls Police Department, but the purpose is not to test police response.
“There will be no large-scale law enforcement presence at EIRMC,” Niemann says. “What people inside our building will notice is if they are on a unit where the “shooter” is located, our staff is expected to run, hide or simulate fight.”
Drills focusing on different types of emergencies are held at EIRMC throughout the year but this is the first time in several years that an active shooter drill is being held, according to Niemann.