As part of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District’s (BID) commitment to safety and security in Downtown, the BID, in partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith and the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), on Sept. 10 hosted a training seminar “Responding to an Active Shooter Situation” to a packed house at 1501 K Street NW.
The event included a panel of both private and public safety officials, as well as a keynote by Kristina Anderson, a survivor who was shot three times during the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. In addition to Anderson’s moving account of her personal experience during the tragedy, the event emphasized what property owners, workers and the general public can do to prepare and respond to an active shooter incident.
Anderson began the morning with a frank and candid recollection of the shooting at Virginia Tech. As she described the events of that morning with gripping detail and solemn reverence, Anderson also conveyed a determination to ensure others are better prepared to escape or survive an attack if they should ever find themselves in her place. Anderson addressed preparedness and stated that on the morning of the attack “safety and security was the last thing on my mind.” Through the help of family, friends and counseling, Anderson finished school and started the Koshka Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to raise awareness about school and community safety.
Following Anderson’s remarks, Vornado/Charles E Smith Director of Security Matt Smith detailed ways for property managers to prepare for and respond to unexpected events in the workplace. Smith stressed that a safe environment and prepared workplace are essential to worker comfort and business continuity and instructed the audience on ways to:
• Prepare for an event: Identify threats, establish building protocols for the property and educate employees on procedures.
• Respond to an event: Activate action plans, communicate with tenants and law enforcement and be ready for disruption.
• Recover from an event: Identify key business functions, identify key personnel and establish substitute work locations.
Lieutenant Michael Pulliam and Captain Robert Halbleib of MPD’s Emergency Response Team extending the session’s conversation to the public safety realm. The officers highlighted the topic of peparedness and covered issues pertinent to the safety of property managers and building tenants. Through a combination of previously prepared research and anecdotes from events such as the 2013 shooting at the Navy Yard in Southeast D.C., Pulliam and Halbleib explained tactical approaches for emergencies and responses such as “hide, fight or run” when faced with a dangerous situation, tools including emergency “go kits” containing maps, building/alarm codes and key access that can help first responders.
A varied and informative question and answer session from audience members rounded out the session. Managers and tenants asked the panelists about topics ranging from the best way to communicate in an emergency to the effectiveness of their own building’s shelter-in-place plans. MPD officers encouraged property personnel, to the extent possible, to arrange meetings and walk-throughs with their local district officers to address their building needs. (Find your MPD District contact information here).
To learn more about the BID’s work on public safety and preparedness in Downtown, refer to our website here, or contact our Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Manager David Riedman at davidr@downtowndc.org.