First Responders On The Front Line In Shootings

First responders, who deal with the immediate aftermath of horrors, such as Tuesday morning’s school shooting in Marshall County, often have their own struggles to face as a result.

During Tuesday night’s news conference, State Police Commissioner Rick Sanders shared one such instance, involving one of his own officers.

Five of the 15 shooting victims were taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where one of them died. Dr. Oscar Guillamondegui said although they’ve been a Level 1 Trauma Center for years, this was the first time they’ve dealt with a mass casualty event such as a school shooting.

Trauma Center Chief Dr. Rick Miller says the most difficult time for emergency personnel is once they’ve done their jobs and the immediate crisis is over because that’s when they begin to process what’s happened.