Police are under significant pressure with the rise of mass casualty and active shooter incidents. Combatting an increase in both violence and public visibility, these first responders are expected to quickly secure a scene with minimal harm to bystanders. This response is expected to happen on an extremely quick timetable. In situations such as active shooters, police must move beyond neighborhood peace-keeping to act as tactical responders and disaster experts. 

Mass casualty incidents perpetrated by active shooters are showing a disturbing upward trend. Statistics from 2009 to 2018 illustrate an increase in the number and severity of active shooter incidents.

Emergency responders don't get to pick the location of an accident. One call may be in a first-floor ranch home with level sidewalks, while the next is on the side of a 5-lane highway. Another call may involve an active shooter, a fire response, or a fall off a bridge. EMS workers need to be ready for any event, where quick-thinking and adaptation are key to survival.

Active shooter events are on the rise. This is not a minor increase, but a drastic escalation. FBI data shows 35 incidents over a 5 year period from 2000 to 2005, yet 2017 alone accounts for 30 active shooter incidents in a single year. And the number of casualties has skyrocketed even higher. 2005 experienced 51 active shooter casualties, 2016 experienced 214, and 2017 saw a staggering 729 casualties from this violence. 

Shooting and mass casualties - it feels like it's becoming a "when", not "if", it could happen in your town. For Fire Chief Joe Pulvermacher, it has happened twice in his small community already. A man in a bulletproof vest outside Milwaukee, WI charged into a third-floor room at the Comfort Suites, shoots his girlfriend and three others before surrendering - two did not survive. A Sikh temple prepares for lunch, as a domestic terrorist walks through the doors, shooting indiscriminately, killing six and wounding three people across this 17,000 square foot facility.

Mass casualties equal mass victims. There never seems to be enough first responders to meet patient needs. While we cannot yet prevent these mass incidents, we can help prepare with the right training and equipment.

The CDC lists multiple natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides and mudslides, volcanoes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and winter blizzards. Each of these events can have mass casualties with high numbers of wounded. Combine these natural incidents with man-made scenarios such as auto pile-ups, building collapses, terrorist bombings, and mass shootings and it's clear that emergency personnel must prepare for a myriad of scenarios.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there were 160 active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2013 resulting in 1,043 casualties. Currently, there are more than 16 such incidents annually.

The original MegaMover® has been used by many fire departments and EMS services. These transport units have met the need to evacuate and transport patients from inaccessible areas for many years.

In response to evolving needs, Graham Medical launched two new MegaMover® patient transport products to expedite the recovery and rescue of victims during mass casualty and active shooter incidents. These portable units were developed in collaboration with EMS personnel from fire stations in Wisconsin. Their design is based on first-hand experience of incidents where victim recovery was required under dangerous conditions. These products will be on display at the EMS World Expo 2018 in Nashville, TN, from October 29 to November 2.