WakeMed police train for active shooters

Paul Warren Pardus, 50, became distraught as he was being briefed on his mother’s condition by a surgeon at Johns Hopkins. Police said he pulled a gun and shot the doctor, then killed his mother and himself in her room at the world-famous medical center.

WakeMed Police Chief David Ng said there are emergency operation plans for situations involving an active shooter.

Ng heads the force of 80 officers protecting four medical facilities. They deal with distraught patients and families and people involved in crimes.

The emergency plan for an active shooter involves the building being put on lock-down, Ng said. Patient rooms are closed off while police search for the gunman.

WakeMed buildings are under constant dispatch and patrol. There are metal detectors, secure areas and surveillance cameras.

But their best defense may be the most low-tech. Every employee, no matter their job, has been trained to react in an emergency. During an emergency, every employee works to make the building secure.

Ng said the shooting at Johns Hopkins is a reminder to everyone at the hospital how important their training is.