Georgia Military College (GMC) and GMC Preparatory School, in collaboration with Milledgeville and Baldwin County first responders, conducted the first large-scale Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Nov. 1 on GMC’s Main Campus in Milledgeville.
There were three exercises to accommodate elementary, middle, and high school with over 100 cadets volunteering to act as students, injured, deceased, and more.
According to law enforcement on the premises, the scenario regarded an active shooter being on campus with students both in the hall and classrooms. Acting students and teachers played roles to lock and hide in the classroom, find shelter out of the hallways or escape, or how to get help for others injured.
First responders practiced arrival, announcements, speaking with dispatch, clearing the building and classrooms, rescuing students and taking the injured to safe places until the building was cleared, transporting students to the hospital, recovering the deceased, and much more.
“The drill enabled staff to practice responding to active shooter, and mass casualty incidents, victim removal, patient care, and patient triage.
These drills simulate high-stress scenarios, helping firefighters, law enforcement, and EMS personnel develop muscle memory, situational awareness, and informed decision-making in chaotic environments, thereby converting instinctive fear into informed action,” Baldwin Fire Rescue posted on Facebook.
Participating agencies included the Georgia Military College Police Department, Milledgeville Police Department, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Baldwin County Fire Rescue, Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, Atrium Health Navicent Emergency Medical Services, Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin Hospital, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“The purpose of these exercises was to be prepared. We did a lot of things right but you can’t get 100% in these scenarios right away,” said Jennifer Deason, GMC Prep assistant principal of Student Success. “Our first responders and our staff that observed have taken lots of notes and feedback that will be debriefed on Nov. 5 in a meeting to ensure anything needing changes or improvement are done.”
The Baldwin Bulletin was present for the middle and high school exercise when an active shooter was entering Usery Hall from the Grant Parade Field. As it was the last exercise of the day, cadets immediately got into their roles and many stated that they volunteered for the experience to see law enforcement up close, to assist the school, or to be able to act. Many students also expressed seeing it as an extension of their duty as they prepare to enter the military.
“We feel the exercises went well,” said GMC Prep Assistant Principal Stephanie McMillan.
“The cadets not only acted in their assigned roles but also gave a theatrical performance that could emulate potential panic, sound, painful cries, and more that add to an already serious situation.
We have received a lot of good feedback and we are thankful that we could partner with our first responders to do this drill and improve the overall safety of our campus.”
According to a press release on the event, the training was in development for months with a collective team of GMC personnel, local law enforcement officers, first responders, and subject matter experts.
The exercise also aligned with the implementation of Ricky and Alyssa’s Law, a Georgia initiative to strengthen school safety through faster, more direct communication between schools and first responders during emergencies.
“In support of this, GMC partnered with Centegix, a company providing compliance solutions such as silent panic buttons and geomapping technology.
These systems connect directly to law enforcement and emergency responders during incidents such as medical emergencies, intruder threats, or active shooter situations,” states the press release. “While the law requires coverage for Preparatory School student-facing facilities, GMC will go beyond those requirements to ensure all student facilities, including Junior College spaces at the Main Campus, are safeguarded.”
As of deadline, the debrief had yet to occur and no direct data or notes had been released.
BAILEY BALLARD/Staff