TRAINING IN CIVILIAN RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS TO BE OFFERED TO MORE COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
Security review of county buildings & facilities also under way.
(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County is offering additional active shooter training for its employees and conducting updated security reviews of its buildings and facilities as ordered by County Executive George Latimer following a mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Building several weeks ago.
The County, which has previously trained hundreds of employees and members of the public in Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), will offer another training session to employees in July. CRASE focuses on strategies and skills that people can use to survive if an active shooter event occurred in their place of work or other public venue.
Since the Virginia Beach tragedy on May 31, Westchester County Police have reviewed all past security surveys conducted at County buildings and facilities. That review has helped the County Police to prioritize the order of the newest round of security assessments.
“I am committed to making all Westchester County buildings and facilities as secure as they can be for our employees and for the members of the public who visit them,” Latimer said.
Latimer instructed Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason of the Department of Public Safety and Commissioner Hugh Greechan of the Department of Public Works and Transportation to work together to ensure that any needed security upgrades are implemented promptly. Security upgrades can include new safety protocols and additional cameras, doors, locks or other physical enhancements to make a building or facility more secure.
Gleason also said the County Police have reviewed the law enforcement intelligence from the Virginia Beach incident to assist it in the current security review of County facilities.
“We always look for lessons learned following any real-world incidents regardless of where they occur,” Gleason said.
The CRASE training being provided to employees is built around the principles of Avoid, Deny and Defend, Gleason said. The Westchester County Police officers who conduct the training provide practical guidance and actions that the public can take during each of these stages.
“CRASE is a proven plan to increase the odds of surviving if you are present during an active shooter incident,” Gleason said.
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