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Firefighters recount response to FedEx mass shooting

First responders who treated people during the FedEx mass shooting say the reality of what they went through is still sinking in.

INDIANAPOLIS — First responders who worked to save lives during the FedEx mass shooting are recounting their experience that night and sharing how they're coping with the tragedy, nearly one week later.

It's the most serious call Decatur Township Fire has ever taken. 

It all started with a typical, seemingly simple dispatch.

"The first run came out as just a single gunshot," explained Battalion Chief Tom Meadimber.

"Our initial response was pretty small, a medic and a ladder truck," added Lt. Scott McCaughna.

But while en route, crews with Decatur Township Fire quickly realized they were headed to a mass casualty event.

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"It started to look like there was another gunshot victim," McCaughna said. 

"When I saw the FedEx address, I knew that this was not just a shooting. This was probably something worse," said Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Valentine.

"So I call our battalion chief to let him know that we maybe had several people shot at FedEx," McCaughna said.

"Now we've got possibly a lot of victims, possibly still a shooter on the loose," Meadimber said. "Arriving on scene it was quite chaotic, seemed to be a lot of cars going in and out."

"You had people trying to wave us and flag us down," McCaughna said. "We're learning that the shooter could still be actively shooting."

When that chaos broke out, these firefighters rushed in, donning bullet-proof vests and tactical helmets. It's gear they just received through a grant last year.

They say their training kicked in right away.

"I'm thinking, where is IMPD setting up their command post? Who do I need to contact? Where do we need to stage? How many units do we have responding? And are we safe?'" Valentine explained.

"We have Ladder 71, Engine 71, they're triaging patients," McCaughna said.

"Who do I need to contact? Where do we need to stage? How many units do we have responding? And are we safe?'"

"And we're finding out how many people we had that had injuries we can treat, how many are not treatable," Meadimber added.

This is not a common call for these crews. With so many victims and so many moving parts, they're not only treating physical wounds. They are treating emotional trauma. Part of the job is calming those injured and scared.

Assistant Chief Valentine recalls encountering a man who'd been shot, walking in the parking lot.

"He had the look of panic in his eyes. And the only thing I could tell him is 'you're out of the building. You're safe where you're at right now,'" Valentine said. "We treat our patients like they would be our family."

They say the reality of what they went through - what those families went through - is still sinking in.

RELATED: Mental health professionals urge families to talk about mass tragedies, mental health

"I don't think it really sinks in until after it's all done," Valentine said.

"I think in the days following, when you start finding out more about the victims and you think about the aftermath and the toll on their families, it's kind of hard," McCaughna said. "You do feel it. I know some guys have lost sleep and they question 'did I do enough, did we do enough?'"

Every person they treated that night survived.

And even as they grieve the lives lost, days after their worst call, these first responders are back on the job.

"That's what we're here to do," Valentine said. "That's what we're supposed to do."

"We lean on each other a lot. We help each other through. It's like a big family and that's what we've been doing," Meadimber added. "It really makes me proud to be a part of this organization and this profession."

Firefighters said they've received a lot of support from other fire departments. They've also had therapy dogs visit the firehouse to help them process this tragedy.

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