Brian Entin, a reporter for WSVN News in Miami, Florida, spoke with a seasoned medical first responder who was among the first to arrive on the scene of the Parkland school shooting that took place on February 14.
The responder paints a picture of authorities refusing to enter the building where the shooting took place and refusing to permit medical responders to enter to treat patients as well. Below are the quotes Entin attributes to the first responder, who according to Entin, does not want his identity revealed for fear of losing his job.
“Everything I was trained on mass causality events says they did the wrong thing. You don’t wait for the scene to be cleared. You go in immediately armed. Retrieve the victims. You can’t leave the victims laying there.”
“We were asking to go in. Asking the scene commander to go in. Why are we all standing around? Why are we not having patients to treat? Why are we not going into the building and retrieving these kids? The response every time was law enforcement did not clear the scene and would not allow medical personnel in.”
“I would hypothesize I could have saved lives. I can’t say for sure.”
“I would have risked my life to go in. I was eager to.”
“I was frustrated the entire time I was there.”
“Rapid evacuation of the wounded. All they had to do was drag them out of the building. And we could have started medical care.”
“I think they made the decision they thought was right at the time but I don’t think it was the right one. They should have been more aggressive about getting the victims out.”
“Can’t say for sure if the people were dead inside or if they could have helped.”
It is being reported that up to four Broward County Sheriff’s deputies failed to enter the building where the Parkland, FL, shooting was taking place last week, taking up positions instead, behind their vehicles outside the school with their guns drawn
Reports on the actions of law enforcement officials and first responders from both the Broward County and Coral Springs Police Departments will likely be released shortly.