About 250 people including police, paramedics, provincial officials and pretend victims played out a mock mass casualty event Thursday, Dec. 12.
Speaking outside the Jack Kraft recycling facility, officials said the daylong drill was the first of its scale for St. Albert, but wasn't inspired by any specific event.
"We're doing this for resilience" and to practice city and first responders working together in a crisis, incident commander Mark Pickford said. “Our city employees knowing that we are looking after their safety and we're working to make things better" in the event of such a crisis was an important takeaway for organizers.
"Emergency management, first response is all based on teamwork," he continued. "Being together and working together and getting through these kind of things is critical."
Media witnessed "victims" of a mass shooting rushed from the building to a city bus waiting outside. Some were depicting injuries and were dressed with stage blood, all were able to walk (some were even warned not to run in the icy parking lot by police).
Regan Lefebvre, who works at Jack Kraft and volunteered to play someone who had fallen down a set of stairs, told reporters outside he was impressed with the professionalism of first responders.
He said he spent a fair bit of time laying on a cold floor waiting for police to find him, but enjoyed the experience overall, which included playing a bystander in two other scenarios that were run as part of the drill.
Instructions for other such casualties were left on a city bus used to both shuttle media to and from Jack Kraft, and to take away the "victims," perhaps inadvertently.
"You have just been involved in an active shooter incident where you observed co-workers hurt, some of whom were critically injured," it reads. "Act as though you are in a state of shock and confusion. If you are left unattended to, start pressuring police for guidance."
One victim could be heard from a distance complaining to police about the cold. Another shouted "I don't want to be on camera" to little or no avail before boarding the city bus.
Emergency vehicles including a mobile RCMP command centre, ambulances, fire trucks and others surrounded Jack Kraft. Police in uniform, plainclothes and tactical gear entered and exited the building, some carrying assault rifles.
A yellow medical tent in the parking lot was to receive other victims, possibly on stretchers, but that aspect of the scenario didn't play out before media left.
Diane McMordie, the city's managing director of corporate and emergency services, thanked all the city employees who took part, including those from St. Albert Fire Services, emergency and social services, human resources and safety, public operations, St. Albert Transit (thank you indeed to the keepers of the warmth), Municipal Enforcement Services and communications and public affairs.
"The evacuation and treatment of casualties (which media witnessed) is a vital part of a situation like this and we try to make it as realistic as possible," she said. "This exercise will ensure that our two organizations can work together as seamlessly as possible so we can resolve any future high risk situations in an efficient and effective manner."
She said the city would use the drill to identify gaps in the response procedure and improve inter-agency communication.
"Given recent events in nearby communities, it is essential that St. Albert's response teams are training for complex scenarios."
