ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE TRAINING EXERCISE
PRESS RELEASE
October 19, 2023
St. Louis , MO — VA St. Louis Health Care System will conduct an Active Shooter Response Training Exercise at John Cochran VA Hospital beginning at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
St. Louis City partners from Law Enforcement, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, Regional St. Louis Health Care coalitions, and the HOPE Coalition will participate with Veterans Affairs police officers from the region to train in a safe, yet realistic environment.
The exercise will take place in John Cochran’s Hospital Main Lobby, the eye clinic, and Dialysis areas. Portions of this exercise will include an Emergency Room Surge, which trains medical staff on caring for patients when normal capacities are challenged or exceeded.
Moulage Role Players—actors in makeup to appear like they have been wounded—will participate in the exercise. The rest of the building is expected to participate in the exercise and medical staff will be reviewing the “Run, Hide, Fight” principles of active shooter training with their teams.
Notifications will be made over loudspeakers, and signs will be placed at hospital entries alerting visitors and staff of the exercise.
During the training exercise, the public may see an increased uniformed law enforcement and emergency response presence inside and on the grounds around John Cochran Hospital. They may also see Saint Louis City official vehicles on the grounds. This presence is part of the planned training exercise.