Active threat training takes place at Paulding County High School

DALLAS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — First responders filled the campus of Paulding County High School throughout an active attack exercise on Wednesday.

This massive drill aimed to prepare several agencies to respond during a mass casualty event.

The scenario-based training included dozens of deputies, firefighters, school security officers and paramedics.

Jordan Yuodis, chief communications officer for the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, says the training exercises were shaped by lessons learned from recent school shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and at Apalachee High School in Winder.

“The first thing you always hear is that they never thought it would happen,” Yuodis said. “We know that’s a reality, no matter where you are in our country. This is one thing we can do, to be prepared and ready.”

Organized by the Paulding County Emergency Management Agency, dozens of drills focused on stopping shooters before rendering aid to victims.

Fire crews and paramedics practiced moving into dangerous scenes, under the protection of local law enforcement.

Stephen Dooley is the director of the Paulding County Emergency Management Agency.

“Training our EMA and fire partners to be able to go into these scenes, protected by law enforcement is key,” he said.

Yuodis also emphasized the importance of a rapid response throughout a crisis.

“What you don’t want to happen is law enforcement to show up and there’s a lag time for fire and EMA crews to get here,” Yuodis said. “When something like this happened, we want all of those resources dispatched immediately, at the same time.”

Participating organizations included the Paulding County School District; Sheriff’s Office; Emergency Management Agency; Fire/Rescue; E911; Dallas Police Department; Wellstar Paulding Hospital; Metro Atlanta Ambulance Service; Team Rubicon and the Georgia Emergency Management/Homeland Security Agency.

“To do something like what we’re doing today, when we’re working together, is very critical,” Dooley concluded.

A similar multi-agency training is slated to take place in Paulding County in July.