VIDEO: Dr. Reed Smith knows that when it comes to active shooter emergencies, seconds matter.
That’s why the emergency room doctor, who also serves as the medical director of the Arlington County Fire Department, began studying hundreds of autopsies from victims of mass shootings years ago. With other medical researchers at George Washington University, he found as many as 15 percent of victims might have lived had they gotten care quickly.
He says the desire to reach more victims, and sooner, helped spur a change in how Arlington fire and rescue prepares for incidents of mass violence. Now, instead of waiting for the all-clear from police before entering an active shooter scene -- a process that can take hours -- they work with law enforcement to try to reach the injured amid the violence.