CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN FOR 6/7/2018 REGISTER STAR

CIVILIAN RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS (CRASE)

This may one day save your life. On that day, having taken the time to attend a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course may make all the difference.

With the unfortunate possibility of an active shooter in our midst, with no regard for the time or place, there are measures you can take to increase your chances – and the chances of your loved ones – of surviving such an episode. It pays to know the responses that have proven to work in real-life situations, beginning with the attitude that you have a chance.

Later this month, on Thursday, June 28, retired Sheriff’s Investigator Tony Brahm will present the CRASE course at the Chatham firehouse. Reservations, which are required, can be made by calling 392-5337 by June 25.

“CRASE teaches to avoid, deny, and defend,” says county Sheriff David Bartlett. “It teaches situational awareness. If you’re in the mall, make yourself aware of where the exits are. Ask yourself, ‘What do I do to get out of here?’”

The idea is not to live in fear, but to maintain vigilance and visualize what you can do to remove yourself from the situation. Further, denying might entail turning out the lights in the room, locking or barricading a door, or hiding. Don’t hesitate to use any means available to you. The concept of fighting fairly has no place in this type of situation.

“Look around you,” the sheriff added. “Maybe there’s a fire extinguisher available tht you could use to spray at the shooter, or throw it at him. As a last resort, defend yourself with anything.”

CRASE grew out of Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT), developed in 2002 at Texas State University. All Columbia County deputies are ALERRT trained.

Sheriff Bartlett noted the changes in law enforcement response from the galvanizing moment that led to the development of ALERRT and CRASE. At the time of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, he said, the prevailing procedure was to wait for a SWAT team to arrive before moving in. Today, the course of action is to assemble a team with whoever is available: “There might be a village police officer, a couple of deputies, and a state trooper. They’ll work together to try to neutralize or contain the shooter.”

To date, schools, private businesses, churches, synagogues, and other organizations have presented CRASE training, Sheriff Bartlett said, noting that thousands of civilians around the county have attended the course. While the county Board of Supervisors is not in the position to control gun laws, supporting CRASE training is something we can control. It is our hope that all county residents take advantage of this valuable opportunity.

In the past, people were unaware of how to respond in a crisis situation, but that no longer needs to be the case. Don’t be a victim. Learn how to survive.