WYOMING -- From San Bernardino, California to Orlando, Florida, to a sniper in Dallas, Texas opening fire and targeting police just this month; the mass shootings in our country are becoming a regular occurrence.
“Columbine really changed the way law enforcement responded to active shooter situations,” said Wyoming Police Chief Michael Flanagan
In light of those shooting, Flanagan decided to take action.
He held his first active shooter seminar at the Wyoming Hose Company to educate residents on what to do if faced with a gunman.
The program drew about 50 people.
“It's devastating for our nation and basically it just seems it's just starting to be vigilante type of killing and it just has to stop, we have to come together as a nation,” said David Barber from Kingston.
“The world that I'm going to grow up in is going to be worse than the world that my dad grew up in and that's what worries my father,” said David Barber, Jr.
The chief went to Gettysburg in January to get trained on how to host this seminar.
“So we went down to get that and that was right after the shootings in San Bernardino,” said Flanagan. “And I think we all realized that we really needed to educate the public on what to do. Hopefully, we never have to use it.”
The seminar says there are three things people can do: Avoid the shooter by fleeing, deny the shooter access to where you are, and be prepared to defend yourself against your attacker.
“I have young children and I'm trying to bring them up into the world and everything is so chaotic so I'm trying to teach them, learn whatever stuff is available and to teach them what they need to know,” said Erica Petrole from Kinsgton.
If your community or organization would like Chief Flanagan to host a seminar for your group, contact the Wyoming Police Department at (570) 693-2650.
