Michael Dorn emailed me a link to a video made by the City of Houston, with funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the video is to instruct people in the workplace on what to do in an Active Shooter Incident. They boil it down to three main responses: Run, hide, or fight.
As I watched the video, I was impressed by it's quality, and by the desire of those who made it to protect others. I therefore applaud their effort, and thank them for the time and energy spent in its making.
That being said, I have a tactical issue with the 'run' part of their instructions. Eight of my twelve years in the US Army were spent in the Infantry. One of the things we were taught was that, when ambushed, you charge the ambush. Thus, if a person barges into my school and begins shooting, my personal choice would be to go to the shooting. That's not my problem with the video.
My problem is with running when you don't know what the situation is. Even with my training, it is difficult to determine where a shot came from, and blindly running at the sound of a shot may send you right into the sights of the shooter. This happened more than once at Columbine.
We need to teach people how not to give into panic, and how to properly react to a shooter. Assess the situation, make the right call, and know where you're running too. The seconds spent doing this could mean the difference between life and death.
The same is true with hiding. It is rare for an Active Shooter to force a locked door. They are often moving quickly, seeking targets of opportunity. At Red Lake, MN, the shooter did force his way in, but in many cases, classes were able to get out of a back door. Hiding places need to have a means of escape.
Another thing I learned in the Infantry was the difference between 'cover' and 'concealment'. One can hide using concealment, but it won't protect you from gunfire. If your hiding place offers you cover, concealment, AND an escape route, then you have a good hiding place.
The key is that people should use this video as a starting point for their thoughts on preparing for violence in the workplace. Spend some time NOW, thinking of what you would do, and those memories will be ready for you IF it ever happens.
Thanks to the City of Houston for making this video. It's a scary topic, and an important one to discuss.
It's a Sheepdog thing to do.
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Non en Meus Vigilo!
Showing posts with label Department of Homeland Security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Department of Homeland Security. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Preventing Violence Starts with You
In the aftermath of Aurora, CO one of the most important questions that comes up is, "How can these incidents be prevented?"
The story from Oklahoma, where a cab driver heard a 17-year old boy talk about a Columbine-style massacre, gives us a clue.
The Denver Post also printed an article by Delbert Elliot and Beverly Kingston that, other than an obvious plug for their product, raised a great point. "A key violence-prevention strategy is good surveillance and intelligence."
The Secret Service published a study in 2002 that examined school attacks from 1974 through 2000. One of its major findings was that, "...school shootings are rarely impulsive acts. Rather, they are typically thought out and planned out in advance. In addition, prior to most shootings other kids knew the shooting was to occur - but did not alert an adult."
There are four phases to emergency management: mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. While taking courses for a Master's Certificate in Homeland Security this past spring, I learned that there are voices calling for prevention to become a separate phase, as it deals only with man-made incidents. Whether it does or not remains to be seen, but in our current climate, it takes on increasing significance.
Violence rarely, if ever, happens in a vacuum. The US Department of Homeland Security learned that there are signs that are displayed prior to the incident. If you compare school attacks to terror attacks, there are seven signs of an impending attack: 1) Surveillance, which may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, or annotating on maps; 2) Elicitations, where people attempt to gain information about school operations, capabilities, or people; 3) Tests of security, which are attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses; 4) Acquiring supplies, such as purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, etc; 5) Persons out of place, which is students who don’t seem to belong in the that part of the school; 6) Dry run/trial run, where people and/or equipment are put into position and moving them around according to plan without actually committing the terrorist act; and 7) Deploying assets, where people and supplies are getting into position to commit the act. This is the last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.
What needs to be done is to create the kind of climate in schools where kids feel comfortable in approaching an adult and telling them of the signs they have seen that worry them, and to have school personnel who are confident in their abilities to recognize the seriousness of the information they are hearing, and to act properly on that information.
This can involve quick-fixes like hotlines and anonymous drop boxes, which are good ideas, but should involve the long-term actions that develop trusting relationships with students. Students will not bring forth information if they feel that their information will be ignored, or worse yet, when they get in trouble for bringing it up. That information is useless if staff members do not act appropriately on it.
Given the increasing number of stories like Aurora and Oklahoma, wouldn't it be prudent to take the time to develop the measures that can prevent such tragedies are occurring?
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The story from Oklahoma, where a cab driver heard a 17-year old boy talk about a Columbine-style massacre, gives us a clue.
The Denver Post also printed an article by Delbert Elliot and Beverly Kingston that, other than an obvious plug for their product, raised a great point. "A key violence-prevention strategy is good surveillance and intelligence."
The Secret Service published a study in 2002 that examined school attacks from 1974 through 2000. One of its major findings was that, "...school shootings are rarely impulsive acts. Rather, they are typically thought out and planned out in advance. In addition, prior to most shootings other kids knew the shooting was to occur - but did not alert an adult."
There are four phases to emergency management: mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. While taking courses for a Master's Certificate in Homeland Security this past spring, I learned that there are voices calling for prevention to become a separate phase, as it deals only with man-made incidents. Whether it does or not remains to be seen, but in our current climate, it takes on increasing significance.
Violence rarely, if ever, happens in a vacuum. The US Department of Homeland Security learned that there are signs that are displayed prior to the incident. If you compare school attacks to terror attacks, there are seven signs of an impending attack: 1) Surveillance, which may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, or annotating on maps; 2) Elicitations, where people attempt to gain information about school operations, capabilities, or people; 3) Tests of security, which are attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses; 4) Acquiring supplies, such as purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, etc; 5) Persons out of place, which is students who don’t seem to belong in the that part of the school; 6) Dry run/trial run, where people and/or equipment are put into position and moving them around according to plan without actually committing the terrorist act; and 7) Deploying assets, where people and supplies are getting into position to commit the act. This is the last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.
What needs to be done is to create the kind of climate in schools where kids feel comfortable in approaching an adult and telling them of the signs they have seen that worry them, and to have school personnel who are confident in their abilities to recognize the seriousness of the information they are hearing, and to act properly on that information.
This can involve quick-fixes like hotlines and anonymous drop boxes, which are good ideas, but should involve the long-term actions that develop trusting relationships with students. Students will not bring forth information if they feel that their information will be ignored, or worse yet, when they get in trouble for bringing it up. That information is useless if staff members do not act appropriately on it.
Given the increasing number of stories like Aurora and Oklahoma, wouldn't it be prudent to take the time to develop the measures that can prevent such tragedies are occurring?
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Crimes against Children 7-25-12 Part II
Columbus, OH
A man on probation was arrested Tuesday on accusations he had child pornography, arrest reports state.
Derrick Holloway, 36, is accused of sexual exploitation of a child, Columbus police said.
According to reports, Holloway is on probation. Probation officers conducted a check of his Horseshoe Court home on Tuesday, and discovered a number of images of child pornography.
Austin, TX
Prosecutors say a Southeast Texas man caught with about 57,000 images of child pornography has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A federal judge in Beaumont on Wednesday sentenced 32-year-old Johnathan Lee Evans of Port Arthur. Evans in February pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
Investigators last August searched the Evans home and confiscated several computers and devices with thousands of child porn images. Evans was indicted the following month.
Salem County, NJ
Two Salem County men were arrested and charged recently in separate incidents for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography, authorities said.
Charles T. Meyers, 40, of Pittsgrove Township, and Juan F. Padilla, 19, of Carneys Point Township, were both charged after search warrants were executed on their personal computers by the Salem County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SCICAC) and the Gloucester County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (GCICAC).
Both men were charged with one count of distribution of child pornography, a
second degree offense, and one count of possession of child pornography, a
fourth degree offense.
Kansas City, MO
A Florida puppeteer and a Roeland Park, Kan., man face federal charges of conspiring to kidnap a child and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents filed on July 20, Ronald W. Brown, of Largo, Fla., and Michael Arnett had online conversations about the abduction, murder and cannibalism of children.
Brown was arrested last week after agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security searched his home in Largo, Fla. Court records state that agents recovered from his home images of child pornography, images of children engaged in bondage and images of children who appeared to be dead.
Brown, who owns a puppet company and performs shows for children as a side job, told investigators that he and Arnett chatted online about killing, dismembering and eating a boy from Brown’s church, but that it was fantasy, adding that he would never hurt anyone.
Arnett was arrested on May 23 on suspicion of producing and possessing child pornography. He remains in custody.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A Davie delivery man has been ordered held on more than $300 thousand
bond after he appeared in court Wednesday morning on child pornography
charges, including counts involving an 8 year old granddaughter of a
neighbor.
Davie Police said they began their investigation of Eduardo Macho after a neighbor complained Macho had given the 8-year-old a picture showing an adult and a child having sex.
A man on probation was arrested Tuesday on accusations he had child pornography, arrest reports state.
Derrick Holloway, 36, is accused of sexual exploitation of a child, Columbus police said.
According to reports, Holloway is on probation. Probation officers conducted a check of his Horseshoe Court home on Tuesday, and discovered a number of images of child pornography.
Austin, TX
Prosecutors say a Southeast Texas man caught with about 57,000 images of child pornography has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A federal judge in Beaumont on Wednesday sentenced 32-year-old Johnathan Lee Evans of Port Arthur. Evans in February pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
Investigators last August searched the Evans home and confiscated several computers and devices with thousands of child porn images. Evans was indicted the following month.
Salem County, NJ
Two Salem County men were arrested and charged recently in separate incidents for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography, authorities said.
Charles T. Meyers, 40, of Pittsgrove Township, and Juan F. Padilla, 19, of Carneys Point Township, were both charged after search warrants were executed on their personal computers by the Salem County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SCICAC) and the Gloucester County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (GCICAC).
Both men were charged with one count of distribution of child pornography, a
second degree offense, and one count of possession of child pornography, a
fourth degree offense.
Kansas City, MO
A Florida puppeteer and a Roeland Park, Kan., man face federal charges of conspiring to kidnap a child and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents filed on July 20, Ronald W. Brown, of Largo, Fla., and Michael Arnett had online conversations about the abduction, murder and cannibalism of children.
Brown was arrested last week after agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security searched his home in Largo, Fla. Court records state that agents recovered from his home images of child pornography, images of children engaged in bondage and images of children who appeared to be dead.
Brown, who owns a puppet company and performs shows for children as a side job, told investigators that he and Arnett chatted online about killing, dismembering and eating a boy from Brown’s church, but that it was fantasy, adding that he would never hurt anyone.
Arnett was arrested on May 23 on suspicion of producing and possessing child pornography. He remains in custody.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A Davie delivery man has been ordered held on more than $300 thousand
bond after he appeared in court Wednesday morning on child pornography
charges, including counts involving an 8 year old granddaughter of a
neighbor.Davie Police said they began their investigation of Eduardo Macho after a neighbor complained Macho had given the 8-year-old a picture showing an adult and a child having sex.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Series of Bomb Threats Leaves Union County College Officials Frustrated
Cranford, NJ
Union County College has had six bomb threats in four weeks — five at the Cranford campus and one in Plainfield. The school has evacuated an unprecedented five times this month, officials say, most recently on Friday afternoon.
The repeated disruptions, which mirror strings of threats at the universities of Pittsburgh, Delaware and Maine in recent weeks, have led to investigations at the college by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. As yet, the callers have not been identified.
Union County College has had six bomb threats in four weeks — five at the Cranford campus and one in Plainfield. The school has evacuated an unprecedented five times this month, officials say, most recently on Friday afternoon.
The repeated disruptions, which mirror strings of threats at the universities of Pittsburgh, Delaware and Maine in recent weeks, have led to investigations at the college by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. As yet, the callers have not been identified.
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