Preparing for the worst: Naval Support Activity Annapolis holds life-like active shooter drill

BALTIMORE -- Active shooter events have been an all too frequent headline. 

In Annapolis, the Naval Support Activity Annapolis held a mass casualty exercise where Navy security forces responded to a mock active shooter event.

The drill, which unfolded with startling realism, simulated an active shooter situation on the base, prompting a swift response from Navy security forces. 

As alarms blared and simulated gunfire echoed, teams raced to the scene, their actions a critical rehearsal for an event everyone hopes will never happen.

Volunteers played the roles of victims, wearing with moulage paint to look like injuries, and holding cards that detailed their supposed wounds and vital signs.

"This will be the key card that the first responders look at to see how they're supposed to treat me," said Peter Schmolze, a volunteer from Anne Arundel County's Community Emergency Response Team.

The annual exercise is not just a test of the Naval Support Activity Annapolis's security and emergency response protocols, but also an opportunity to enhance coordination with local emergency services and the broader community.

"We focus on a number of areas, force protection, acts of terrorism, specifically an active shooter," said Captain Chris Schwarz, NSA Annapolis Commanding Officer. This year's scenario was notably complex, involving 40-50 volunteers to add to the realism.

The drill serves a dual purpose: testing the base's readiness for such crises and helping emergency responders maintain their composure in the face of potential real-life carnage. "You can't get caught up in the gruesomeness of it that much," Schmolze noted.

The exercise extended beyond the gates of NSA Annapolis, with area hospitals also participating to train their staff for the possibility of a mass casualty incident.