On Saturday evening, emergency medical services were called out to Lacy Avenue for a suicide attempt. Despite efforts of emergency medical personnel, up to and including airlift via a helicopter, attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful.
The event was tragic for family and friends, and meanwhile, social media was wild with rumors and speculation, with some assuming it could be an active shooter situation.
While potential concerns for personal safety are valid, any active shooter situation would likely start with a lockdown initiated by the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department, according to Anna Uhl, who works as an EMT with the Garretson Community Ambulance and is Garretson's City Finance Officer. Proper forms of communication would be used.
Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, in a letter addressing active shooter situations, wrote, "Because of recent tragedies in the U.S. that involve what is often referred to as an ‘active shooter’, a number of concerned citizens have asked if there are any recommendations on what to do if suddenly faced with such a situation. These events have shown that such violent acts can happen almost any place where people gather (businesses, schools, public events, entertainment venues, etc). They often occur suddenly, and how someone reacts can mean the difference between life and death. While there is no hard and fast rule on how to react in such a situation, I wanted to provide you with several excellent resources that address the subject. Obviously every situation is different, but taking time now to review these resources and think through how you would respond, especially in places you spend time at (your workplace, shopping locations, public events), can help better prepare you to protect yourself, your family, your co-workers or others should you ever be faced with an active shooter situation."
He then linked to resources from the US Department of Homeland Security, which can be found at https://www.minnehahacounty.org/dept/so/activeShooter/activeShooter.php.
Dispatch scanner apps can be found in both the Google Play store and the Apple App store, and tuned into Minnehaha County Fire 1 for local dispatch information. While scanner apps are not illegal, all information on dispatch scanners found in app stores are subject to laws pertaining to unlawful use of a scanner in the furtherance of a crime.
The Garretson Community Ambulance would also like to remind residents that they are always in search of more EMS personnel to add to their roster, and to apply or learn more, they can contact Kurtis Nelson at 594-2043. Prior certification is not needed to get started on becoming an EMT.
It could be taken as a good lesson that speculation such as that found on Saturday and Sunday does much more harm than it does good, and that people should think before they post.
