MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – “Oh my, he’s got a gun,” screams Kristin Kirgan, investigator with Marine Corps Community Services and Fairfield, Calif., native, as she hears gun shots and hides under desk - but the gun is not real and neither is the shooter behind the trigger.
Kirgan was taking part in the active-shooter exercise conducted by the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Provost Marshal’s Office at the Marine Corps Community Services building aboard MCAS Miramar, Sept. 11.
“I can’t believe how loud and realistic the gun sounded. It makes it seem almost real,” said Kirgan. “It makes me feel good to know PMO takes it to this scale for their training.”
Marines and police officers with PMO conduct this annual training specifically in preparation for the upcoming air show.
“We practice how to respond, how to communicate and how to conquer our fear when handling a situation like this,” said Officer Armando Bautista, a police officer with PMO and Kaneohe, Hawaii, native.
Volunteer Marines wore various fake wounds to simulate casualties to make the scene as realistic as possible.
During the exercise, Marine could not stress enough how important this training is should the real scenario occur.
Training like this is extremely important because in a real situation lives will be at stake and it is PMO’s duty to get in, eliminate the threat and help any victims, added Bautista.
Police officers and military police make sure to train together regularly to ensure they are ready for any emergency scenarios.
“We do this exercise annually, but [we] also do monthly training to keep ourselves prepared for anything that could occur,” said Bautista.
By the end of the exercise, PMO helped and evacuated victims as they cleared the building. PMO plans to continue and train for any emergencies that may occur during the air show.