[blindlaw] active shooter trainings?

Thu Dec 10 22:49:37 UTC 2015

True enough - but before these trainings were the rage, we already had a potential situation at our courthouse (juvenile), where a person who had just assaulted a street vendor then escaped into our facility and was actively evading security, suspected of being armed.  One of our then-pregnant co-workers ended up locked in detention, missing lunch and meds, for several hours due to the lockdown.  We don't handle emergencies well as an organization, it seems.  Thus, trying to think ahead.  

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel McBride via blindlaw
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 3:45 PM
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List' <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Daniel McBride <dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] active shooter trainings?

Dear List:

I have been following this thread with some interest. I would like to point out that your statistical odds of being struck by lightning are greater than the odds that you will ever be confronted a so-called active shooter. And I never spend one minute of my life with concerns of being struck by lightning.

Daniel McBride
Fort Worth, Texas

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shelley Richards via blindlaw
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 10:20 AM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Cc: Shelley Richards
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] active shooter trainings?

Hiding in the evidence cabinet, I like that idea.  I would definitely fit in one.  I think the best advice is to figure out for yourself ahead of time where the best hiding places are, and be sure you know how to get to those places from anywhere in the building you might be.
Have someone help at first if needed until you are confident that you can get several possible locations on your own from anywhere you might be.  I have never been involved in an actual drill because my building has not done them, but I have thought about it before and always figured I just need to have good hiding places in mind which I know I can get to confidently.  Of course I also think of places where my dog can hide with me as well.
I definitely would think this might be a more difficult situation for a wheel chair user.  I would be interested in talking to some wheel chair users to see what they might think is a good way to deal with this type of situation.
I have to agree that relying on a sighted coworker is not necessarily a good plan.  I personally would not feel confident relying on sighted assistance from anybody in a situation which is almost definitely going to cause panic and chaos.  It is also such an unpredictable situation, and nobody really knows how they will handle it until it happens.  Definitely not the best time to be counting on someone else who does not even know how they themselves will handle a real life active shooter situation.

Shelley Palmadessa

On 12/10/15, Susan Kelly via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thanks - that has always been my thought and plan.  Being small, I 
> figure that I can hide in an evidence cabinet in the courtroom if 
> nothing else exists.  Allegedly, there is a space for wheelchair bound 
> persons in the judicial chambers area at court, but...this is on the 
> second floor, and is in a mag-card protected restricted area.  It is 
> thus difficult to figure how that will work in such a situation, 
> particularly given that we have only two, very small elevators.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ronza 
> Othman via blindlaw
> Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 7:10 PM
> To: 'Blind Law Mailing List' <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Ronza Othman <rothmanjd at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] active shooter trainings?
>
> My Agency has a function in the Security Office specifically geared 
> towards working with employees with disabilities.  So when we get the 
> Active Shooter Training, evacuation training, shelter in place 
> training, biohazard training, all of it, they do think about and talk 
> about how individuals with disabilities can respond.  For active 
> shooter, the rule is run, hide, fight.
> Their suggestions for run were to get out of there is quickly as 
> possible (wheelchair, scooter, whatever), if safe and if you aren't 
> going to be seen.
> They suggest we assess our flight capacity when deciding whether to 
> run or hide.  When hiding, they talk about how the goal is to find a 
> sturdy location with as much protection (3-4 walls - as possible.
> They suggest you scope this out ahead of time and find yourself a 
> couple of options for "safe rooms" like storage rooms.  They talk 
> about how bathrooms aren't always the best place to hide because the 
> doors don't lock.  They talk about how folks in wheelchairs, to the 
> extent possible, should either find places to hide where their chairs 
> are hidden too, or if they can, find ways to maneuver out of their 
> chairs to secure a smaller hiding place.  And with regard to fight, 
> they say to use whatever you have access to - hands, equipment, 
> whatever,
to fight.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Keri 
> via blindlaw
> Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 3:38 PM
> To: Blind Law Mailing List
> Cc: Keri
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] active shooter trainings?
>
> That seems to be the most common.
>
> On 12/9/2015 1:46 PM, Susan Kelly via blindlaw wrote:
>> So far, the only "adaptation" we have received is that a co-worker 
>> look
> out for us.  Not exactly an empowering solution.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
>> Gerard Sadlier via blindlaw
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 11:06 AM
>> To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Gerard Sadlier <gerard.sadlier at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] active shooter trainings?
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> This is interesting if a little surprising - I'd be interested in 
>> reading
> re: adaptations etc. suggested.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Ger
>>
>> On 12/9/15, Keri via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> I think it is up to the trainers to do research and offer suggestions.
>>> At my university the campus police officer(who is a real policeman) 
>>> offered me personal suggestions on adapting, but I don't think there 
>>> is official methods. My school is willing to teach for different 
>>> situations however to students, staff, and faculty.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 12/9/2015 10:24 AM, Susan Kelly via blindlaw wrote:
>>>> Apologies in advance that this is only tangentially a legal 
>>>> question (being somewhat civil rights involved), but given that 
>>>> many of us are governmental employees, or at least in larger 
>>>> groups, I am hoping there is an answer among us.
>>>>
>>>> Our county has done active shooter trainings for the last couple of
> years.
>>>>   Unfortunately, they have absolutely zero training or suggestions 
>>>> for those of us who are blind or wheelchair-bound.  Has anyone 
>>>> participated in a training that accounts for these differences?
>>>> Does any such training even exist?
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> blindlaw mailing list
>>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>> for
>>>> blindlaw:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/keribcu%40gma
>>>> i
>>>> l
>>>> .com
>>> --
>>> Keri
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindlaw mailing list
>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>> for
>>> blindlaw:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/gerard.sadlier
>>> %
>>> 4
>>> 0gmail.com
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40p
>> i
>> ma.gov
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/keribcu%40gmail.
>> com
>
> --
> Keri
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rothmanjd%40gmai
> l.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40pi
> ma.gov
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindlaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/shelleyrichards9
> %40gmail.com
>

--
Thank You
Shelley Palmadessa
shelleyrichards9 at gmail.com

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/dlmlaw%40sbcglobal.net

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40pima.gov