An active shooter simulation was held in Kearny Mesa Tuesday, featuring actors with multiple mock injuries and hyper-realistic medical simulations, said a representative for Strategic Operations.
Thirty students in their second year of medical school gathered at Strategic Operations at the 4000 block of Ruffin Road at 1 p.m., as part of emergency training for medical students from across the nation.
There were also Emergency Response staff from Balboa Naval Hospital and Kaiser Permanente, as well as law enforcement and Fire Department first responders.
It's part of a week-long series of life or death scenarios such as flipped cars, active shooters and improvised explosive devices, for the Sixth Annual Hyper-Realistic Surgical Skills Week, according to Strategic Operations.
Real firefighters, paramedics and police were also involved in the simulations.
“Medical students commonly state that they do not truly understand or recognize a textbook description of a disease or a syndrome until they experience the clinically applicable version of it,” said Strategic Operations Executive Vice President Kit Lavell, in a statement.
The series was held on the back lot of the Stu Segall Productions TV/film studio and a specially constructed emergency room for the unique Intensive Surgical Skills Course (ISSC). This course is the only one of its kind in the nation, according to Strategic Operations.
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The shooter drill featured live actors wearing the Strategic Operations "Cut Suit," according to Strategic Operations. Thirty-five surgeries were performed on the "Cut Suits." Law enforcement are first responders in the simulation which includes victims being treated in mock emergency care and simulated surgeries.
President of Stategic Operations, Stu Stegall, intended to design a super realistic hospital environment with operating rooms and the ER for medical students and doctors.
This hyper-realistic hospital environment is intended to allow for the willing suspension of disbelief, stated Stu Stegall, who previously worked in Hollywood as a TV producer.
Saliva samples were collected from the students, doctors and first responders before and after the hyper-realistic demos, so they can be used to measure stress levels, according to Strategic Operations.
Overall, the series is used to help medical students learn real-life skills they can't pick up in a textbook.
