With last week’s massacre of 14 people at a Christmas party in San Bernardino, CA, still leading the news, North County municipalities, law enforcement, schools and private businesses are updating their emergency response plans and conducting drills.
Terrorism no longer seems like something that only happens in other places, to other people. The terms ”soft target,” “active shooter,” and “domestic terrorism” have entered the American vernacular and, even as San Bernardino buries its dead, local governments and institutions are looking for ways to increase citizen safety.
Health care facilities have been among recent targets, and the Sebastian River Medical Center, though its corporate headquarters, released this statement:
“The safety of our patients, volunteers and medical staff is a high priority for Sebastian River Medical Center. For that reason, we have a team of clinical and operational staff that meets regularly to plan strategies and drills to prepare our hospital in the event of an emergency. We work closely with the first responders and law enforcement agencies in our community to prepare for a number of potential scenarios.”
To protect the City of Sebastian, City Hall, the municipal airport and other city facilities, “We have a plan for all contingencies, to the greatest extent possible,” says City Manager Joe Griffin, without disclosing critical details.
City Airport Manager Frank Watanbe says extensive use of strategically positioned cameras and virtually instant communication capabilities with local law enforcement have long been part of Sebastian’s emergency management plan.
“Rest assured, we have contingency plans!” states Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris. SPD personnel, along with other county law enforcement agencies, undergo regular training in emergency response, including active shooter training, Morris explains. Sebastian, Fellsmere, Vero Beach and Indian River County law enforcement have mutual aid agreements. “We are prepared. We look at it all the time.”
Morris says that, since the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in 1999, in which two students shot and killed 12 fellow students and a teacher and injured 21 others, local law enforcement has utilized updated emergency response policies. While an annual review is required for accreditation, Morris says, “We do it more than that. We have the equipment, we have the training.”
Law enforcement personnel, she says, are trained to guide civilians during emergency situations. In addition, “We work with the schools. We meet with teachers and administrators from the two city schools, Sebastian Elementary and Sebastian Charter Junior High School, providing advice and instructing them in the proper protocols.”
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Indian River County law enforcement agencies are prepared to respond when any of them sends out a call. And, Morris continues, the SPD also works closely with the City’s major businesses. “We all pull together. We pray we never have to use that training but we are prepared.”
Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker met with city department heads and Police Chief Keith Touchberry last week to discuss additional training and measures that should be taken to protect the city. Fellsmere’s City Hall presents some unique challenges: it is located in the old Fellsmere Elementary School building and, in addition to the city department offices, the building houses the local Boys and Girls Club on the lower floor. “We get 140-150 kids a day here,” Nunemaker says.
While “we don’t want people to feel they are not welcome in City Hall,” protecting the employees and the children – the soft targets – could require such security measures as badges, metal detectors, or bag checks. A “fresher look” is needed in light of the “new flavor” of terrorism we face today, Nunemaker says. We must realize that “these terrorists are not crazy, they just have an entirely different belief system. We have to do more. We have to be responsive to the public and prepared without creating panic.” City workers must practice “situational awareness,” and citizens, too, are advised to be aware without becoming paranoid.
Chief Touchberry strongly believes “it takes a community to police a community,” and he quotes Robert Kennedy: “Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves . . . . and every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on.”
Touchberry elaborates, “Americans are not bashful when it comes to insisting upon the kind of law enforcement they want, and we are mindful of that. Conversely, many Americans fall short of the mark when it comes to preventing their victimization, reporting crime, and bearing witness when called to testify.
“Crime is a social problem that requires a commitment from all Americans, otherwise, society will indeed get the kind of criminal it deserves. If you see something, say something.”
The FBI’s Southern District, based in Miami, covers Indian River County and, since 9-11, has been far better about keeping local law enforcement “in the loop,” concerning potential threats, Touchberry says.
The Fellsmere PD is among local law enforcement agencies utilizing a 6-minute public service video from the Department of Homeland Security entitled, “Run, Hide, Fight: Surviving an Active Shooter Event,” to help citizens prepare for the worst.
The 6-minute video underscores the importance of doing three things that could change the outcome of the shooting and save your live and those of others: RUN. When an active shooter is in your vicinity; HIDE. If an evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide; FIGHT. As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger.
The video can be viewed on line:
http://www.homeland1.com/homeland-security-news/1321055-run-hide-fight-dhs-releases-psa-on-how-to-survive-a-mass-shooting. The video can also be found on the Fellsmere Police Department’s Facebook page.