Beaufort Memorial, First Responders Team Up for Hospital Safety Drill

“ICU…white male…khaki pants…plaid shirt…five-nine in height…brown hair. Avoid, deny, defend.”

That message echoed across the entire Beaufort Memorial organization on Monday, Nov. 3, as the community health system, in its ongoing commitment to preparedness, united with external partners to conduct a scheduled active shooter safety drill at the main hospital campus. The drill, “Operation Rapid Shield,” was strictly a proactive measure with the goal of ensuring protocols across Beaufort Memorial in an active shooter scenario are as clear, efficient and seamless as possible.

The exercise saw strong collaboration between Beaufort Memorial, law enforcement, fire and other community and state partners and validated the health system’s ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, continuous staff training and readiness for potential real-world events.

"We hope Beaufort Memorial never faces a situation like this, but it’s important that our team knows exactly how to respond to keep our patients, visitors and each other safe,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “This drill really showed the power of teamwork — both within our hospital and with our community partners who helped make it a success."

'Operation Rapid Shield'

The organization-wide drill, held in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, has been in development for months, with several planning meetings held prior to the exercise that brought in community partners such as law enforcement agencies and emergency management personnel.

“Operation Rapid Shield” was a hybrid tabletop exercise, with a walkthrough and discussion-style execution and a subsequent “hotwash” (a comprehensive debriefing highlighting key takeaways) with Beaufort Memorial staff and external agencies.

The drill saw a realistic scenario unfolding in the Beaufort Memorial Hospital ICU at 11 a.m. on Nov. 3 as a staff member role-played an active shooter in the department. Staff walked through response protocols with law enforcement, hospital security and agency partners, and the hotwash after the exercise “captured valuable insights that will further strengthen safety and response plans moving forward,” Baxley explained.

For employees who work in departments other than the ICU, the drill was an opportunity for teams to discuss their strategy should an incident like this occur in their workspace.

A Collaborative Effort

The exercise was collaborative from start to finish, requiring cross-departmental and interdisciplinary cooperation of Beaufort Memorial staff, but included onsite engagement of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaufort Police Department, Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, Beaufort County EMS, Department of Public Health (DPH) and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), Region 6.

“Exercises like these give everyone the chance to practice our emergency procedures and work on strengthening the skills we have. The drill gave us the valuable opportunity to practice in a hospital setting and engage with our healthcare partners. By building these robust relationships, our preparedness, response and recovery can constantly adapt and improve.” SCEMD said in a statement.

SCEMD participates in multiple exercises throughout the year across the state to better prepare for possible emergencies.

“Teamwork was essential for this exercise, and we want to thank Beaufort Memorial staff and our external partners for their dedication as we work to prepare ourselves for the possibility of emergency scenarios such as an active shooter,” said Baxley. “The incidence of violence in healthcare facilities across the country has grown over the last decade, and Beaufort Memorial, in partnership with local law enforcement and emergency services, is committed to being as prepared as possible.”

The drill exercised not only the staff’s grasp of emergency protocols in an active shooter scenario, but the internal and external communication procedures should such an incident take place. Internal alerts and external coordination flowed smoothly through the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), showing how quickly the team can mobilize during a critical event.

“This exercise demonstrated excellent coordination between Beaufort Memorial, hospital security and our law enforcement, fire and other community and state partners,” Baxley added. “Throughout the drill, everyone communicated efficiently and followed established protocols.”

A Commitment to Preparedness

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence in the workplace than other occupations.

Recent tragedies in the Beaufort County community also reinforce the importance of preparedness. Operation Rapid Shield was the first active shooter drill held at Beaufort Memorial and is a key component of Beaufort Memorial’s ongoing training for readiness in an emergency scenario.

Hospitals are high-traffic environments that care for vulnerable patients and often see stressful, emotionally charged situations. Exercises such as Operation Rapid Shield help ensure that personnel at Beaufort Memorial are trained to respond quickly, communicate effectively and prioritize patient safety during critical incidents.

“Ongoing training not only protects lives but also continues to reinforce Beaufort Memorial’s culture of safety,” Baxley said. “The safety of our patients, visitors and staff is our top priority, and this exercise will allow us to keep the momentum going in preparing our staff for the unthinkable.”