United States Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie conducted an active shooter training at 9:30 a.m. this morning at its Water Street facility.
Chief Petty Officer Michael McCallum said actors were already in the Sector Sault building to simulate active shooters. Student volunteers from Lake Superior State University (LSSU) played wounded victims.
“When I saw them, they were on the second level and stopped,” said McCallum.
Chippewa County Central Dispatch Director Greg Postma was on the planning committee for this morning’s exercise.
“Training like this is an important part of keeping our communities and workplaces safe and ready for emergencies,” Postma said. “Lessons learned from today’s exercise will be carried out and applied to more than just the specific location that we practiced at today.”
Sector Sault training was designed to ensure the readiness of Sector Sault personnel when responding to emergency situations. It helped supervision determine any areas needing improvement during emergency situations requiring medical attention.
“The coast guard is always training to be ready,” Sault Sector Commander Capt. Anthony Jones said.
Other local partners involved in the drill were Sault Ste. Marie Emergency Services, Sugar Island Fire Department, and Kinross Emergency Medical Services. Victims were transported to MyMichigan Health Sault by ambulance, others walked in without emergency personel to mimic a real event.
“We want to thank our local partners and first responders, as well as the LSSU students who were here to make it more realistic,” said Jones. “The coast guard couldn't do these things without our partners. I think we learned some valuable lessons.”
Sault Fire Department Chief Ed Miller thanked Sector Sault in return.
"I think the best thing about this exercises is to work with other agencies in finding any gaps and learning from them, so that we can be better prepared in the future," said Miller. "Doing drills like these helps us provide better services. We are a system. EMS is one component. Hopefully, we will never have to use the skills applied today. I think the coast guard did a great job. I am new to this area. I love that everyone is involved and working together."
