Sounds of gunfire shatter the inside of a grocery store during a mock exercise, leaving volunteer actors dead and wounded.

Officers identify this was a robbery gone wrong. A legal handgun permit holder shot the robber and the robber returned fire. Both were wounded as a result of the gun battle.

Responding officers realize they have a mass casualty situation and in seconds, they secure the scene and begin treating the wounded.

Additional resources arrive on the scene and a Rescue Task Force is activated to begin treating and evacuating patients. The Rescue Task Force is composed of law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics.

This was one of four exercises performed Thursday by teams of emergency responders in Rutherford County during the Active Threat Integrated Response Course.

The three-day class was taught by instructors from the Louisiana State University's National Center for Biomedical Research and Training. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funded the training. 

During an active threat exercise, law enforcement officers prepare to locate a suspect upstairs while an instructor monitors Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Jason Reynolds treating John Crader, who portrayed a victim.

Attending the class were more than 40 law enforcement officers from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, MTSU and Eagleville Police Departments, firefighters from Murfreesboro Fire Rescue, Smyrna Fire and La Vergne Fire Departments, Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services and Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency.

Sheriff's Lt. Chris Kauffman, who coordinated the program with the assistance of EMA and Murfreesboro Police Department, said the participants will teach other first responders in Rutherford County.

"What this class is about is an active shooter with an integrated response of every law enforcement agency in the county, the fire departments and EMS to work in a cohesive effort to save as many lives as possible," Kauffman said.

During the classroom and practical instruction, the law enforcement officers learned basic life-saving techniques such as using pressure bandages and making medical assessments.

Officers work with firefighters and paramedics to triage and treat patients to get evacuated to medical trauma centers. 

"We hope to take what we learned here back to our agencies and train personnel," Kauffman said.

Murfreesboro Police Sgt. Justin Lemanski said over the past three days, Murfreesboro Police officers learned how to work with the surrounding agencies on responding to an active shooter.

"The benefits of this training are to develop a response that all agencies will use, which will allow for a faster response to both the active shooter and victims from the active shooter," Lemanski said. "By providing medical attention to the victims in a more timely manner, we will hopefully save more lives and be able to bring more families back together."

"This class showed me where we stand as fire rescue in our response and the need we have to participate in more training like this," said Jeff Wright, MFRD Medical Training Coordinator. "My hope is that events such as these never happen, but having our first responders prepared for the worst, can make all the difference in our response when the need arises."

EMA Assistant Director Tim Hooker said, "This training was provided with the primary objective to improve multi-jurisdictional coordination and response to active aggressor scenarios to any extent or circumstance." 

LSU Certified Instructor Andrew Rateaver said the main goal of the course allows fire, medical and law enforcement officers to work together. Law enforcement officers learn medical training.

"If cops are there, their medical training can save lives," Rateaver said.

Deputy Director Randy White of the Rutherford County EMS said better communication and training between agencies allows more rapid and efficient response.

"This is going to save lives, especially when EMS responds and gets to patients early," White said. "It is imperative we get together and train like this."

Top Photo: La Vergne Fire Department firefighter Nour Ritz and Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Engineer Julia Pitts discuss care of a patient during the active threat exercise.

Bottom Photo: During the active threat exercise, teams of paramedics, firefighters and law enforcement officers prepare to load a patient into an ambulance.