They suited up with vests and gear outside the Erie VA Medical Center's Behavioral Health Building - the VA Medical Center Police Department and VA staff supported by local first responders.

Then inside the facility, it got real as everyone acted out their parts, simulating a real-life active threat scenario designed to test and improve response capabilities in the event of real active threat situation.

Even though she was playing a role, for VA Recovery Coordinator Katie Duberg, it felt real. "If you can tell, my heart is racing, it's definitely simulating what it would feel like to have to do this for real so, definitely worth it and I think we'll learn a lot from it," she said.

And learning how to be more ready in case of the real thing is what Erie VA Police Chief Kevin Kleckner said it's all about. "My goal is to be extremely well trained and extremely well prepared -- and hopefully we never have to use it."

Training is required year round at the medical center.  They do it on live fire ranges and with staff response drills but this event was collaborative and bigger. "What's unique about today is we're incorporating all of that together," said Chief Kleckner. "The staff is going to get their opportunity to exercise their response plans in conjunction with the police response to an active threat situation."

Someone was assigned to be the threat, using a training hand gun that made noise, or an AR style training weapon. "There's going to be an individual in the building that's become disgruntled and is starting to take out his frustrations on the staff and we are going to respond and try to neutralize that threat," the chief said.

They did neutralize the threat.  For police the drill offered a chance to work on tactics and communication.  For staff it was an important opportunity to experience what it might be like to face danger, so they know how to be ready. "Planning and to be prepared is the way we get through things like this hopefully it does not happen and if it does then we'll know what to do," Duberg said.