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Violence can happen anywhere and South Pasadena Police Department officials are stressing that message through a series of active shooter training sessions in the city.
The latest stop was last Tuesday morning at Carrows restaurant, where a handful of officers provided information on how to prepare for an active shooter situation to a group of business owners and employees as part of the Chamber of Commerce monthly Shop Talk Breakfast.
“We’re taking a proactive approach in getting our entire community ready for a possible shooting,” explained Interim Police Chief Brian Solinsky. “We’re reaching out to the community, providing some training and giving them an idea how they can better protect themselves. Given today’s society, there’s nothing on the horizon that we’re aware of, but we’re just trying to get our message out to as many people as we can.”
Solinsky said his officers didn’t talk about tactical secrets during the session at Carrows, noting: “We wanted to give them a basic approach so if they are involved in a situation, they’ll know how to act.”
In order to be prepared for active shooter events, local business owners and employees should, according to Solinsky, develop a plan to get out of harm’s way. “This is all about education,” said the interim police chief. “This is a way to get the word out on how to better protect yourself, family and community.”
Earlier, the local police department reached out to schools, faith-based groups before addressing the business community at Carrows.
“Workplace violence is on the rise so we have to hit all aspects of it,” Solinsky explained, noting the key takeaway from the meeting was “how to protect yourself in the midst of an active shooter. We want owners and employees know what to do in an emergency.”
Solinsky stressed the importance of developing processes and procedures to “lock down” a workspace and prohibit walk-in traffic.
“Have a plan of where to go and what to do,” insisted Solinsky. “Have a safe space for you and your employees to go. Create a dialogue with your employees, hear what they have to say and get that conversation going so it sparks the thought process and the interest.”
The South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce hosts its Shop Talk Breakfast the first Tuesday of every month at Carrows Restaurant, 815 Fremont Avenue, in the city. Cost is $13 for chamber members, $18 for non-members, which includes breakfast.
