PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.-- The Port St. Lucie Police Department is trying to raise awareness about their mission to save lives.
The department is partnering with the St. Lucie County Fire District and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office for their Safe Action Victim Extraction protocol also known as S.A.V.E.
“Traditionally, fire rescue personnel would wait until a scene is safe and secure before being permitted to enter. Unfortunately, in an active shooter situation, scene security can potentially take hours. And in some cases it only takes minutes for a victim to die from a gunshot wound. The SAVE program allows our EMTs and paramedics to enter an area where the shooter is no longer a threat and we can quickly stop or slow and active bleed, then remove them for more definitive care,” said St. Lucie County Fire District Lieutenant Richard Hall.
Port St. Lucie PD gave WPTV a sneak peak of the active shooter training exercise Thursday at the Indian River State College Public Training Complex in Fort Pierce.
“Almost 90 percent of battlefield injuries are due to hemorrhaging, loss of blood so the time that we can get rescue in to address these victims is vital,” said PORT St. Lucie Police Department Training Coordinator Scott Johnson.
Lieutenant Hall said he is happy to be a part of the training. “It is critical to practice and be prepared for these mass casualty events. We have a very strong relationship with IRSC and the PSL Police Department. We feel fortunate to work with such a well coordinated team.”