By Ed Otte

Terse statements from Aurora police officers describe the chaotic scene on July 20, 2012, at the Century 16 theater.

“I have three parties shot here. Where is rescue going to be?”

“I need an ambulance here quick.”

“I’ve got one ambulance here. Where are my ambulances at?”

“I’m taking one male to the hospital in my car.”

“Do I have permission to start taking some of these victims via car? I’ve got a whole bunch of people shot out here and no rescue.”

“Yes. Load ’em up, get ’em in cars and get ’em out of here.”

The police scanner comments are heard at the beginning of the 9News award-winning documentary “after Aurora.” The special report, which aired in July 2013, is a “first-hand account of a story that is already changing the way fire, police and paramedics prepare for the next worst-case scenario,” according to 9News reporter Chris Vanderveen.

“after Aurora” received the Sigma Delta Chi documentary award in the large market television category in a June 20 ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Vanderveen, Chris Hansen, John Kuhrt and Blair Shiff were cited for the award.

“We couldn’t have done it three months after the shooting. There was so much saturation coverage,” Vanderveen said at a July 31 Fireside Chat at the Denver Press Club. “We didn’t want to simply go over the tragedy. It’s a story with national implications: What do we do in a mass shooting?”

Twelve people were killed and 70 injured by a lone gunman during the midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The suspect, who was apprehended outside the theater, awaits trial.

“We didn’t want to focus on the shooter,” Vanderveen said at the Fireside Chat sponsored by the Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. “We didn’t use his name or his photo. I do worry about copycats. I don’t know what the answer is to that.

“We, as a society, are fascinated by mass shooting events. When something happens, Twitter and other social media go crazy and people follow it. I think we’re desensitized in Colorado about this because we’ve had so many mass shootings. I’m so tired of hearing about the two kids involved in Columbine. They were monsters.”

The 9News staff members were given five months to prepare the 49-minute special report. “That’s an eternity in television time,” Vanderveen said. “We were doing other things during that time, I was a general assignment reporter, but we needed that much time because the report was very specialized.”

A CU-Boulder graduate, Vanderveen began his broadcast career in Casper, Wyo. “I learned the most there,” he said. “On weekends, I was the reporter, photographer, producer and I did the weather. It was great experience. I made mistakes. But it’s a town of 50,000, they were very forgiving.”

Vanderveen has come a long way since that entry-level job at KGWC-TV. In his 12 years at 9News, he has won 49 Heartland Regional Emmys including nine Emmys in July. One of the 2014 Emmys was for “after Aurora.”

The SDX award was special, however.

“It was humbling to go back there and get the award.” Vanderveen said. “It was so neat to come back here and thank your bosses for letting you do that work.”

“after Aurora” can be viewed on the spj.org website. Go to 2013 SDX award honorees and click the television link. It can also be seen on YouTube.

9News was one of five Colorado news organizations or journalists to receive SDX awards. The others:

Dave Philipps, Colorado Springs Gazette, for investigative reporting in the daily circulation 50,001-100,000 category.

Samantha Tisdel Wright, Telluride Watch Newspaper, for deadline reporting in the non-daily publication category.

Alan Prendergast, Denver Westword, for feature reporting in the non-daily publication category.

KUNC, Greeley, for breaking news reporting in the radio 101+ market.

“I think there is some very good journalism in Colorado,” Vanderveen said.