2025 News 2025: Nursing students train New Bedford first responders for active shootings

Four students volunteered in Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) as part of a nursing project, receiving praise from local and state officials

When nursing students sign up for classes, they can typically expect to attend lectures and clinicals. What they don't expect to do? Volunteer to act as victims requiring emergency medical care to simulate an active shooter situation for local first responders.

Junior nursing majors Kaitlyn Bizarro, Jaqueline DePina, Savannah Kelley, and Ruby Lopez-Caban worked alongside the New Bedford police and fire departments to train first responders in Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT). ALERRT is a nationwide program that prepares police, paramedics, and firefighters to respond to shootings.

This experience was a result of the course NUR 356: Concepts of Learning Through Engagement, which is offered as a nursing class at UMassD. As part of this course, groups of students must create a community partnership project that provides a mutually beneficial learning experience between themselves and the New Bedford area.

When Kelley discovered the ALERRT program while working at the Wareham Fire Department, the group thought this would make a perfect partnership. They decided that their project would focus on gun violence in schools.

ALERRT volunteer work

"Our purpose was to make the training experience as realistic as possible for the first responders, which included having to scream and cry," explained Lopez-Caban. "We had to run through a few emergency scenarios. When we did the first one, everyone was quiet, and then we suddenly heard Jaqueline full-on screaming. After that, we got the feel of it and committed."

Although the students were intimidated at first, the first responders' investment in the training created a comfortable environment. "They took a personal interest in us, which showed that they really cared about our work and about the program," DePina said.

The students appreciated the first responders' enthusiasm, and were proud to know that their work provided a direct positive impact on the community. "It's really cool that when I become a nurse, I could walk into an emergency room and see these same first responders using the skills we helped teach them to save lives," said Kelley.

It’s really cool that when I become a nurse, I could walk into an emergency room and see these same first responders using the skills we helped teach them to save lives.

Students receive praise from Director John Mazza and Chief Paul Oliveira

The students were commended by the New Bedford Police Department and the Massachusetts Police Training Committee for their work.

"Active Shooter and Hostile Event Response training is critical to ensuring first responders are prepared to act decisively and collaboratively during life-threatening emergencies." said Municipal Police Training Committee Statewide Director of Active Shooter Hostile Event Response John J. Mazza. "By role-playing as injured parties and witnesses these students brought their unique skill to the forefront, enhancing the training experience for first responders and contributing to the Commonwealth's mission to advance multi-agency preparedness and community resilience."

Chief of New Bedford Police Paul Oliveira also emphasized the importance of the students' work. "I'm grateful for the partnership between UMass Dartmouth and our department, as well as the four nursing students who generously volunteered their time to play a crucial role in our active shooter training. The ALERRT training exercise is vital for 21st-century policing and our profession as a whole. Without their support, we wouldn't be able to conduct realistic training exercises like these," he said.

Unique nursing courses at UMassD

Concepts of Learning Through Engagement offers a change of pace for nursing students, who usually spend their time in a classroom or clinical setting. "We're so used to the system of having lectures, studying, then doing assignments and tests. This course was out of the ordinary for us," said DePina.

Kelley agreed. "In regular nursing classes, especially clinicals, the professors are very involved. But with this course, some days we wouldn't even have class. Instead, the professor would give us the space to meet and work independently, which can be unique in nursing curriculum. There was a lot of mutual respect and trust," she said.

"What makes the course unique is that the projects are student driven, so no two are the same," said Professor Susan Hunter-Revell, who co-created the course in 2022.

"This was our project, our research, and we were responsible for taking action. I've never had a class with so much freedom. Whatever hard work and effort you put in is what you're going to get out of it," said Lopez-Caban.