Lethbridge first responders learn from officers who attended the 2018 Florida school shooting – Lethbridge | The Canadian News

Two first responders from Parkland, Florida, who were on the front lines during the fourth deadliest school shooting in US history, spoke to a grim crowd at the University of Lethbridge Tuesday.

The experiences, along with lessons learned during the Parkland school shooting, were shared with members of the Lethbridge Police Service, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, and individuals from the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College.

Coral Springs Police Department Chief Tony Pustizzi (Retired) and Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department Chief Frank Babinec (Retired) were on the scene in February 2018 when an alumnus entered Marjory Stoneman High School. Douglas with a firearm and shot and killed 14 students and three staff members, in addition to injuring 17 others.

In the years since, Pustizzi and Babinec have traveled the United States sharing their experiences; however, Tuesday was the first time they took their presentation north of the border.

“If you take away some of what we experienced, it’s worth it to us,” Pustizzi said. “Because at the time, where this happened in South Florida, we hadn’t had something like this.”

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Babinec said he has spent a lot of time reflecting on what he and other first responders could have done better on February 18, 2018, and hopes that what he has learned can help someone else in the future.

“That call became very real, very fast,

“And you know that from then on, you just go back to your training,” Babinec said.

He said it became clear after the shooting that his response could have been improved with a less isolated approach, with a more unified command.

“You know, from a fire rescue perspective, I think one of the biggest things that we saw is that that organizational structure could have been a little more fluid. And that’s something that was mentioned in our internal after-action report, as well as the state’s. “

Collaboration and communication were the key message from the presenters and those involved in the emergency response in Lethbridge said they hope to improve their interagency training in the future.

“I think what we’re hearing today is what we call a high-risk, low-frequency event,” said Lethbridge Deputy Fire Chief Gerrit Sinke.

“In his entire career, he may, and hopefully never, have to deal with something like this, but if he does, he better be ready the day it happens and that means we have to collaborate.”

Const. LPS ‘Matt Schoenroth said it was a long process getting Pustizzi and Babinec to Lethbridge, but he believes the information shared Tuesday will prove invaluable.