Culver City Observer -

Southern California Hospital at Culver City, in collaboration with the city's police department, this week held a comprehensive, pre-planned active shooter drill designed to protect patients, staff and the public in the event of such an incident occurring at the facility.

During the nearly 90-minute drill, hospital officials and police department SWAT team officers tested their procedures, processes, and tactics in response to a simulated emergency call reporting a lone gunman at the hospital. As several blank rounds were fired to make the drill as realistic as possible, police officers searched for and apprehended the person playing the role of the gunman, while two members of staff posed as gunshot victims. Hospital and police officials met after the drill to debrief.

With gun violence on the rise in many parts of the country, hospitals – like Southern California Hospital at Culver City – are committed to ensuring that visitors, staff, and patients remain safe.

"It's a hospital's job to protect its staff and patients and ensure its team is prepared in the event of any active shooter incident," said Chantel Pizarro, the hospital's chief operating officer. "We are thrilled to partner with the Culver City Police Department to help us identify and mitigate any potential risks, further enhance our training and pressure test our response system."

"We were happy to join with Southern California Hospital at Culver City to further foster this important community partnership," said Culver City Police Department Lt. Brent Arney. "The drill went very smoothly. It helped us become more familiar with the layout of the facility and gave us the opportunity to work with the hospital's safety protocols and security team."

"Our staff's response to the drill was outstanding," said Stephen C. Cuthbertson, regional safety officer for Prospect Medical's California Hospitals. "The drill also showed us some areas where we can improve, which is why we conduct these exercises. We appreciate the police department's involvement and assistance in making this training exercise such a success."

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were a total of 50 active shooter incidents in the

U.S. in 2022, a 66.7% increase over 2018. These resulted in 100 killed and 213 wounded, excluding the shooters, the highest casualty count in the last five years. Only two of the incidents occurred in California. In 2021, California was ranked as the No. 1 state for gun safety by Giffords Law Center, and the state saw a 37% lower gun death rate than the national average. According to the CDC, California's gun death rate was the 44th lowest in the nation, with 8.5 gun deaths per 100,000 people.

About Southern California Hospital at Culver City

Southern California Hospital at Culver City has dedicated itself to providing quality care to the culturally diverse populations of the Culver City and West Los Angeles communities. The hospital offers a wide range of inpatient and outpatient acute care services, including general and specialized surgery, orthopedic and spine program, emergency department, cardiovascular services, weight-loss surgery, acute rehabilitation, gender confirmation surgery, and behavioral health and chemical dependency programs. The hospital is named among the top 5% in the nation for Patient Safety Excellence by Healthgrades (2018-2023). Southern California Hospitals include locations in Culver City and Hollywood, as well as a behavioral health hospital in Van Nuys. Learn more at SCH-CulverCity.com or call (310) 836- 7000.