JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Protection, mitigation, response and recovery were the goals instructors wanted participants to leave with from an active shooter mass casualty exercise at Jefferson State Community College Saturday.

Participants were involved in several exercises such as breeching scenarios, responding to injured victims and active shooter drills. 

Jefferson State Community College nursing student Chris Carter said this training helps him know how to respond in emergency situations.

“Emergency triage, how to access the patient, how to get them ready for EMS, any medicinal administration or injury evaluation,” Carter said.

Event instructors told CBS 42 training like this helps save lives.

“Especially with these recent events in the news that’s just brought to light what’s been going with people getting hurt, especially with gunshot wounds and different violent acts,” Stop the Bleed instructor Clay Bailey said. “So that’s really brought to light — it made everyone realize that maybe I need to pay more attention and training to this.”

“We try to have this have this training so we can be ready when it happens instead of if it happens,” Jefferson State Community College campus police officer Ray Channel said.

Law enforcement officers across 10 entities in Alabama and Mississippi participated in exercises Saturday.