Elkhart Co. first responders complete active shooter training

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- Nearly two dozen firefighters and paramedics in Elkhart County spent their weekend training to respond to what we all hope won’t happen here in Michiana.

“We’re an organization that provides film-quality makeup and scenario training, along with tactical combat casualty care, tactical emergency casualty care to fire, EMS, and law enforcement across the community,” said Shawn Miller, the owner of Moulage Medic and a deputy fire chief with the Concord Fire Department.

A simulation of a mass shooting made the inside and outside of the department on County Road 18 look like the site of a major emergency situation over the weekend.

“We just want to up our scale and be ready to actually handle something like this with the minimal amount of equipment that we would have in this type of situation,” said Concord Fire Chief Richard Rochford.

The situation being simulated was a mass shooting, or something similar.

It requires first responders to save lives by getting the injured out safely and quickly.

“We get out and we run drills,” Miller said. “We get their heartrate up; give them the experience of what it would be like in an adrenaline situation to where now they have to go in and they have to perform IVs, they have to perform tourniquets, they have to perform airways; low light levels; things that they may not do on a daily basis because we work in the back of an ambulance or in a well-lit house or somewhere of that nature.”

The training is taxing and tough to watch at points.

The preparation – which includes spraying dummies and actors with fake blood – is real enough to make you queasy.

But each pretend life saved at these trainings could mean a real one will be down the road.

“We are taking this serious,” Rochford said. “And we are going to be there; we’re going to do everything we can; we’re going to give 100 percent into the operations of whatever that incident’s going to be.”

Moulage Medic was founded by Miller about six years ago.

The company is based in Goshen and trains first responders across the country.

This weekend, 22 firefighters and paramedics completed the 16 hours of training at the Concord Fire Department, earning a 4-year certification.

Miller said something that regular citizens can do to help is participate in ‘National Stop the Bleed Day’ on March 31. By clicking here, you can find a location near you that will be offering free lessons on how to place a tourniquet to stop the bleeding caused in an accident.