Emergency first responders in Saline County took part in an active-shooter drill on the Missouri Valley College campus in Marshall on Tuesday, March 26.
According to a news release, the Marshall Police Department- along with Public Safety Personnel and students at MVC, the Marshall Fire Department, Saline County Ambulance District, Saline County Medical Reserve Corps and Fitzgibbon Hospital- participated in an Armed-Intruder training exercise.
Active-shooter incidents often occur in small and medium-sized communities where police departments are limited by budget constraints and small work forces. The average active-shooter incident lasts less than 12 minutes- with 37 percent lasting less than five minutes.
The exercise commenced at 1:45 p.m., with officers and public-safety personnel responding to a report of an active shooter at the Technology Center. The college activated its warning alert system, sending emails and text messages to notify students and faculty of the situation. Officers searched room-to-room and floor-to-floor.
Several students at Valley helped with the exercise by participating as victims of the armed intruder, allowing medical personnel to use their training in evaluating and treating their injuries. Students were then transported to Fitzgibbon Hospital for further evaluation and/or treatment to provide training for medical personnel at the hospital.

Photos provided by the Marshall Police Department.