LLUMC-Murrieta to Take Part in Mass Shooting Drill

Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta is among 12 medical facilities in Riverside County that will be training this week for an event officials hope will never happen.

The drills will simulate an “active shooter” who walks into a hospital or other medical facility armed with a handgun and begins firing at people. is scheduled to conduct its drill between 9 a.m. and noon Wednesday, May 16, according to a news release.

“This is a situation that, of course, we hope to never have to face,” said Kim Saruwatari, head of the county’s Emergency Preparedness and Response division, which is coordinating the event. “But this is a possible reality in today’s world and it is important that health care providers be prepared in case the unthinkable happens.”

Saruwatari said officials are advising residents not to worry if they see emergency vehicles parked outside their neighborhood hospital. She said the training provides an opportunity for county health officials to work with local hospitals and practice emergency planning under some tense situations.

The drills will involve a wide range of simulations. In one, an actor portraying a gunman fires inside an emergency room, leaving behind “victims” and activating the SWAT unit. In a scenario on the other end of the spectrum, hospital officials will huddle together after the gunman leaves to discuss the scenario and what actions they would take if it were a real event.

The drills will involve hundreds of people from police officers, firefighters, hospital security personnel, doctors, nurses and emergency workers.

LLUMC-Murrieta has been making preparations for the drill.

"We have our scenarios together," said Kathryn Stiles, spokesperson for LLUMC-Murrieta. "Obviously hospitals are targets as well. As a new hosptial, we haven't had a formal drill yet."

LLUMC-Murrieta will work with the city's police and fire departments as part of the real-life scenario, she said, and volunteers will play the role of media.

"This is meant to test our system; testing it is different than seeing it in writing. This helps us test our communications," Stiles said.

"We hope to learn from it."

Other Riverside County hospital and nursing facilities participating in the drills May 16 and 17 include: Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley; Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage; Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs; Kaiser Permanente in Moreno Valley; Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside; Canyon Springs Community Center in Cathedral City; San Gorgonio Hospital in Banning; Corona Regional Medical Center in Corona;Kaiser Permanente in Riverside; Orange Tree Nursing Center in Riverside; and John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio.

Editor's Note: The date of the drill at LLUMC-Murrieta has been changed in this article to reflect the correct date of Wednesday, May 16.