San Bruno Honors Its HEROS

Article Source: San Bruno CA Police Department

During the April 3ed 2018 shooting at the YouTube campus in San Bruno CA, many stepped up and became heroes.

At the June 12 2018 San Bruno City Council, many of these heroes were recognized to a standing room only full of grateful residents.

Words and photos by the San Bruno CA Police Department and Robert Riechel.

In Summary:

Heroes recognized at tonight's Council Meeting

At tonight's City Council Meeting, the many heroes from the YouTube Shooting Incident were recognized. Join us in congratulating and thanking: YouTube Employee Allison Miller, Burlingame Police Department Police Services Manager Christine Granucci and Dispatchers Melissa Hunkin and Tara Filiere, Pacifica Police Department Officer Joe Gomez, and from our very own SBPD: Supervisor Shannon Rohatch, Dispatcher Erin Beckett, Sergeant Kevin McMullan, Sergeant Mike Blundell, Corporal Joe Valiente, Officer Andy Harper, Officer Scott Smithmatungol, Officer Manuel Agredano, Officer Oliver Reich, and Officer Misael Covarrubias. Well done All!

SELECTED PHOTOS

ABOVE: Many of our Heroes and the San Bruno City Council

ABOVE: San Bruno CA Chief of Police Ed Barberini gave a "play by play" recap of how so many became "Heroes that Day"

Referring to his written words, San Bruno Police Chief Barberini began:

Good evening Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers.

On Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 12:46 in the afternoon, the City of San Bruno drew national and international attention. It is a position the city has found itself in before. With the whole world watching, San Bruno Police Officers responded to 901 Cherry Avenue in response to reports of an active shooter at the YouTube Headquarters. San Bruno Police Officers arrived on scene within two minutes of the initial call and encountered and chaotic and hectic scene. As hundreds ran from the shots being fired, San Bruno Police Officers ran toward this immediate threat, without hesitation and knowingly placed themselves in harm’s way with the sole purpose of saving lives.

As this incident played out, once again the City of San Bruno displayed its preparedness, commitment to the community, and extraordinary resilience. What could have been a circumstance that portrayed the city in a less than favorable light, instead reinforced how strong and determined we are. We literally showed the world what San Bruno is truly made of. While we operate in an environment of very swift news cycles and the positive response by first responders to this incident is clearly evident, there is much more to the story than most realize.

No one agency in our county could have handled a call for service like this on their own. This incident required an incredible amount of support from every department within the city and a number of local, state, and federal partners. The police department could not be more grateful for the tremendous contributions of those who came to our assistance in a time of significant need. We’ve reached out to all of these partners to convey our gratitude.

There is still a great deal of investigative work being pursued regarding this event and an extremely thorough debriefing process has been completed. This has afforded us the opportunity to step back and gain a greater understanding of what took place and the effectiveness of our collective response. In doing so we’ve also learned that several individuals acted in a manner that was truly exceptional and merits special recognition. I would very much like to emphasize that the contribution of every individual that responded to this event, which exceeds 150, significantly contributed to the timely and successful resolution of this critical incident. However, as is always the case, there were individuals who found themselves in a position that provided them the opportunity to choose to take heroic actions in an effort to save others.

ABOVE: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki thanked all who responded and kept the situation from becoming much BIGGER.

ABOVE:

L: San Bruno Chief of Police Ed Barberini

C: San Bruno Councilman Michael Salazar

R: YouTube Employee Allison Miller

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

I’d like to begin with one of YouTube’s own. As the suspect entered the YouTube campus on that afternoon, YouTube Employee Allison Miller, (seen above receiving her recognition certificate) immediately took notice and asked the suspect to produce an identification badge. The suspect stopped, ignored Ms. Miller’s request, and pulled a firearm from her handbag. Ms. Miller immediately sought and safe location and called 911. Based upon a subsequent investigation, there is little doubt that Ms. Miller’s intervention interrupted this subject’s initial plan and forced her to act in a manner that she considered to be premature. It is believed that this subject likely intended to enter the building on the campus. Ms. Miller’s actions prevented a tragic event from becoming much worse and may have very well saved lives. On behalf of the men and women of the San Bruno Police Department, please accept my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the actions you took to mitigate this critical incident. Your attentiveness and initiative prevented an outcome that could have been much worse.

ABOVE: L: San Bruno Councilman Marty Medina

C: San Bruno Councilman Michael Salazar, and

R: YouTube Employee Allison Miller

ABOVE: L: San Bruno Councilman Michael Salazar and

R: YouTube Employee Allison Miller

ABOVE: San Bruno Mayor Rico E. Medina presenting a Distinguished Service Pin

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

The San Bruno Police Department enjoys a unique and invaluable virtual dispatch relationship with the Burlingame Police Department. On April 3rd, Burlingame Dispatchers, Melissa Hunkin, Tara Filiere, and Christine Granucci, took notice of the overwhelming amount of 911 calls flooding into the San Bruno Police Department Communications Center. They responded immediately by answering dozens of these calls and dutifully entered the information our computer system, thus enabling San Bruno Dispatchers to continue relaying crucial information to the officers who were responding or already on scene. Burlingame and San Bruno Dispatchers answered over two hundred emergency calls during the first thirty minutes of the event. At one point, Dispatcher Hunkin answered a 911 call from a key witness, the first person to have encountered the shooter during the event. She asked pertinent questions of this caller and memorialized this witness’ statement into the CAD for follow-up at a later time. This initial statement and subsequent interviews has become an integral part of the investigation.

ABOVE: San Bruno Mayor Rico E. Medina presenting a certificate of appreciation

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

On behalf of the men and women of the San Bruno Police Department, please accept my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the actions you took in response to this critical incident. Your initiative and preparedness facilitated a phenomenal response to this critical incident.

ABOVE: San Bruno Vice Mayor Laura Davis presenting a certificate of appreciation

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

As I had mentioned earlier the response by allied agencies to this incident was tremendous and Pacifica Police Officer Joseph Gomez was among the first to arrive from outside the city. Upon his arrival he encountered a gunshot victim at the entrance to the building.

He immediately rendered aid to this victim, utilizing a tactical first aid kit, he cut away the clothing of the victim and applied a dressing to a sucking chest wound as well as a second occlusive dressing to the exit wound on the victims back.

Paramedics at the scene as well as the emergency room nurse and trauma surgeon all confirmed that Officer Gomez’s quick thinking and proper application of the dressings significantly contributed to this subject surviving this incident. His actions prevented a tragic event from becoming much worse.

ABOVE: San Bruno Councilman Marty Medina presenting a certificate of appreciation

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

On behalf of the men and women of the San Bruno Police Department, please accept my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the actions you took in response to this critical incident. Your initiative and preparedness prevented an outcome that could have been much worse.

The San Bruno Police Department Policy Manual states that the San Bruno Police Department Distinguished Service Medal shall be “Awarded to any Police Department employee who distinguishes him/herself in the performance of such duties under unusual, complicated, or hazardous conditions where the employee used excellent judgment in accomplishing an assigned mission. This may also be awarded to any employee whose actions and training directly result in saving or preventing the loss of human life.”

ABOVE: San Bruno Councilwoman Irene O'Connell presenting a certificate of appreciation

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini continued:

On Tuesday, April 3, 2018, San Bruno Police Department Dispatcher Erin Beckett received reports of an active shooter at the YouTube Campus located at 901 Cherry Avenue in the City of San Bruno. At 12:46 p.m., the first of over one-hundred of 911 calls came into the San Bruno Police Department Dispatch Center. During the first call and, within one minute, Dispatcher Beckett, took the information from the caller, entered the call into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System while simultaneously dispatching officers to the scene. Soon after the first few calls came into the Communications Center, Dispatcher Beckett was assisted by Records/Communications Supervisor Shannon Rohatch who also began fielding calls.

In the most extreme of circumstances Dispatcher Beckett and Supervisor Rohatch maintained an incredibly calm demeanor and continually reassured frightened callers. They provided information rapidly and concisely to the responding officers. Dispatcher Beckett and Supervisor Rohatch handled over 100 emergency calls within the first hour of this event. This does not include the dozens of other calls that came in to the police department on the regular phone lines. For each call, pertinent information was dutifully recorded into the CAD by Dispatcher Beckett and Supervisor Rohatch. As additional law enforcement agencies arrived Dispatcher Beckett and Supervisor Rohatch monitored all officer movements while also providing crucial information to those on scene.

The actions of Dispatcher Beckett and Supervisor Rohatch in this incident clearly meet the criteria established for the issuance of the San Bruno Police Department Distinguished Service Medal and he is therefore awarded this medal with the sincere gratitude and appreciation of the San Bruno Police Department.

ABOVE:

L: San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini

C: San Bruno Councilman Michael Salazar

R: YouTube Employee Allison Miller

San Bruno Chief of Police Barberini concluded his remarks and pin and certificate presentations:

San Bruno Police Sergeants Kevin McMullan and Mike Blundell, Corporal Joe Valiente, and Officers Manuel Agredano, Oliver Reich, Scott Smithmatungol, Misael Covarrubias, and Andrew Harper arrived within two minutes of the initial 911 call and were met with hundreds of employees fleeing the campus. They learned that the shooter was located in a courtyard area of the campus. Without hesitation they entered the campus immediately noticed a victim suffering from a gunshot wound near the building’s front doors and began searching for a shooter that they believed was still active inside the building. Upon learning that one potential suspect may have been located, officers immediately formed search teams and searched the second floor victims and additional suspects. At the time of this incident, conflicting reports were received regarding the number of suspects on the premises. During this search officers located hundreds of more employees that had not fled the scene, hiding in several areas within the campus. Officers provided a safe pathway for these employees to evacuate the building, while at the same time gaining and relaying valuable information to responding law enforcement personnel.

The actions of San Bruno Police Sergeants Kevin McMullan and Mike Blundell, Corporal Joe Valiente, and Officers Manuel Agredano, Oliver Reich, Scott Smithmatungol, Misael Covarrubias, and Andrew Harper in this incident clearly meet the criteria established for the issuance of the San Bruno Police Department Distinguished Service Medal and he is therefore awarded this medal with the sincere gratitude and appreciation of the San Bruno Police Department.

ABOVE: San Bruno Mayor Rico E. Medina

Mayor Rico E. Medina thanked ALL who responded and by working together brought this YouTube situation to a quick ending. He especially thanked those who came in without being called in and those from surrounding agencies, who together formed THE RESPONSE TEAM. This showed that with participation by many, San Bruno is truly the CITY WITH A HEART.

NOTE: The room was so full that it was impossible to get photos of everyone as he/she received their awards. After each award, there was a standing ovation of thanks.

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Robert Riechel

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Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: City of San Bruno CA Police Department

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