When Ruth walked into an active shooter response training on the Pine Ridge Reservation, she already knew something about emergencies. 

A former firefighter, Ruth has spent years responding when others needed help. She once helped carry an injured person two miles through wilderness terrain using a makeshift stretcher built from clothing and branches so they could reach a helicopter landing zone. 

But even with that experience, she knew there was more to learn. 

Today, Ruth works in Pine Ridge as an assistant varsity basketball coach. In the past, she coached at a local school where she learned to recognize signs of conflict before situations escalated. She also remembers the tragedy of a basketball tournament on the reservation where a shooting claimed a person’s life. 

Those experiences made the training deeply personal. 

“I honestly feel really confident about having it, being that I’m going to work in a school system again, and it’s really important,” she says. 

“I’m really excited to get this training so I can be better prepared if anything were to happen.” 

The training brought together community members from schools, health care facilities, veterans services, childcare programs, and other organizations across the reservation. Participants learned how to respond during an active shooter event, provide emergency first aid, stop severe bleeding, administer opioid overdose medication, evacuate victims, and reunify families after a crisis. 

Participants were instructed to act rather than freeze in an emergency. The training included hands-on exercises in bleeding control, patient transport, and other life-saving skills. Many participants said they were already CPR certified, demonstrating their commitment to helping others and strengthening their communities. 

Participant Jessica, an obstetrics case manager at the hospital, believes the training should reach even more people. 

“I feel like our entire facility should be trained in this because of how much more violence there is in the healthcare system,” she says. 

Jessica says she had never received such in-depth instruction before. 

“I really appreciate how we get to do things hands-on because I learn better that way, and I feel like it makes the training more effective.” 

The need is real. The Pine Ridge Reservation spans more than 2 million acres, an area roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Emergency resources are often stretched thin, making local preparedness essential. 

Instructor Alan, a police officer, school sentinel, firefighter, and EMT, reminded participants that preparation can save lives. He also explained why hospitals can be especially vulnerable during emergencies because they often have multiple entrances and limited security. 

The training was made available through the Northern Plains Reservation Aid® (NPRA) program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA), helping equip community members with lifesaving skills they can use when every second counts. 

For Ruth, some of the medical lessons were familiar. Other parts of the training reinforced skills she hopes she never has to use. Yet she knows preparation matters. 

“Every situation is going to be different,” says Alan. “Don’t panic. Go back to your training. It’s about communicating.”