'It's horrifying once you realize that it's real' Louisville EMS Chief Says of Mass Shooting

"It's horrifying once you realize that it's real, it is happening here. I think it strikes you when you arrive at the scene and see everyone doing what they've been trained to do and realize that [it's] not a training, it's a real event."

That's how Louisville EMS Chief Jesse Yarbrough said of the response to the mass shooting at the bank.

EMS and fire personnel, who are equipped with combat tactical gear, train annually for situations like the one they faced, WHAS11 reported.

Louisville Fire Battalion Chief Bobby Cooper said early on he and others knew "that it wasn't just another run."

The call to the Old National Bank will be etched in the minds of responders forever.

"It's tragic. It's amazing how much damage can be done in nine minutes, and how much can be lost in nine minutes. I hope that the community has confidence in public safety's ability to keep them as safe as possible," he added. 

Cooper noted that dozens of fire and EMS personnel answered the call and raced to the area to triage, treat and transport the victims. 

"It is a deliberate, tragic incident that we all wish it never happened. It's reality. It's incredibly unfortunate," Cooper said.