Several Lethbridge College programs are currently involved in a simulated emergency which began this morning at 8 a.m.

Communication Arts, Criminal Justice and Emergency Medical Technician students have been at the scene of a simulated shooting on school grounds since early this morning.

The D.A Electric Barn has been transformed into Bob’s Bar and over 75 participants are taking part in the mock emergency. This is including students, faculty and volunteers.

It was a gruesome scene after the simulated shooting with three students portraying the injured victims and being loaded onto a stretcher and into the ambulances.

The EMT students then drove around the parking lot in the training ambulances and roaring sirens. This was a practice for working on patients while in a moving vehicle before finally arriving at the simulated hospital which is located in room TE 2202.

Kelly Mantler was the program co-ordinator for this morning’s event, and she says she is happy with the way things have worked out thus far.

“The preparation we have done with them prior to the event has really worked out well. And I think that as the morning progresses they will get to do the skills they will be doing as industry professionals,” says Mantler.

“I think this is really going to help them out a lot.”

The Lethbridge police force will be present throughout the day to ensure the safety of weapon handling.

A constable from the Lethbridge regional police force was on site prior to the enactment to ensure all students, staff and participants were handling the situation as professionals especially those in contact with the gun.

This event has been through delicate planning since June 2010 but is not the first simulation LC students have been a part of.

Three years ago at the Alberta/Montana border there was a mock disaster with over 200 participants including the United States FBI.

Criminal Justice student Connor Novak says he was nervous to start off the day but has grown to the scene and is confident in himself and his classmates.

“I’m feeling really good about this, we’re really learning a lot from this,” he says.

Ken Taylor, an instructor for the Criminal Justice students, says that the morning simulation went over well and that the interaction between students is exactly what the goal of this event was for.

“I’m very happy to see how well things worked and were choreographed and I’m also very happy to see how the groups are working and co-operating with each other,” he says.

 “And some of the initial feedback from the students is that it is a lot more complicated once you actually get out in the field.”

Which is good, because of that appreciation of each others roles is what we’re trying to get through and from what I can see it is working.”

There will be a debriefing at the end of the day for all involved.