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Brownwood News – On Tuesday, December 5th, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Early Police Department, Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Brownwood Police Department presented the “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events” or CRASE course. The class was offered free of charge and was open to the public.
The CRASE course was developed at Texas State University and the ALERRT program to provide the general public with some guidelines on what to do during an active shooter or any disaster type event. This course is presented across the nation by law enforcement agencies to better prepare their communities for tragic events like mass shootings.
More information on the strategies presented in the course can be found at www.avoiddenydefend.org
Since 2002, the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT)™ Program at Texas State University has been used to train law enforcement officers across the nation in how to rapidly respond to dangerous active threat situations. As a result of increased public awareness, many citizens have asked what individuals can do protect themselves and reduce the dangers faced during one of these events. Avoid | Deny |Defend™ has been developed as an easy to remember method for individuals to follow.
Brownwood Police Chief Terry Nichols was a founding member of the ALERRT program from 2000 to 2005, and served as the Director of Curriculum Development for the ALERRT program from 2015-2016. He has brought his expertise to our community and through the Brownwood Police Department, has offered courses for local businesses and organizations regarding a citizen’s response to active shooting events.
During the “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events” class held at the Early High School on Tuesday, Chief Nichols along with Early Police Chief David Mercer and Brown County Sheriff’s Sergeant Scott Bird led the session, giving a breakdown of the Avoid, Deny, Defend, or ADD, method.
In a situation that could easily throw even the most level-headed into chaos, the ADD method is relatively easy to understand and implement.
- A – Avoid: Quite simply, avoid the shooter. Get out. The best way to do this is to always be aware of your surroundings. Know your exits, and pay attention to your surroundings. Once you suspect there might be an active shooter in the building, leave. It’s human nature to want to deny what’s happening, but the sooner you realize it is and take action to leave, the better your chances are of surviving an incident.
- D – Deny: If escaping is not an option at any point, deny the shooter access to your location. Close and lock doors, create barricades, turn off the lights, remain out of sight and quiet by hiding behind large objects and silence your phone.
- D – Defend: If the worst should happen and you’re unable to leave or stop the shooter from reaching your location, it’s time to fight. Be aggressive and committed to your actions and do not fight fairly. Look for anything that can be used as a weapon near you and utilize it. Target your attacks towards the shooter’s eyes, groin, and other weak areas. Don’t stop fighting until the shooter has been stopped.
The following video was presented during the class:
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