Johns Creek Police Hosting Active Shooter Response Class Thursday

JOHNS CREEK, GA — Just days after more devastating mass shootings took over headlines and TVs across America, the Johns Creek Police is working on helping its citizens stay safe.

Throughout the year, the Johns Creek Police hosts Civilian Response To Active Shooter Events. The next event hosted by instructor Sgt. Deb Kalish is Thursday, Aug. 8 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. The free event is held at the Johns Creek Police Department Headquarters in the courtroom, 11360 Lakefield Dr.

This is not a class for young children, so the departments asks for them to be brought. Ages 12 and older are advised.

"Would you know how to respond to an Active Shooter situation?" The event description asks." Taking action immediately is critical to saving lives. Our training is designed to help you recognize and respond appropriately to an active shooter situation in order to increase the likelihood of survival. What you do matters!"

Kalish started teaching these classes in 2017 because of the need to teach people how to react in an active shooter event.

"We have found from studying active shooter events there are things you can do to increase your chances of survival, what you do matters," Kalish said. "Avoid, Deny, Defend can help save your life until we get there."

The public is grateful to have the training, she said. Kim Dowd, who works at Fiserv in Alpharetta, was glad she had taken the class after Fiserv was put on lock down last month after report of a person armed inside the building.

"The officer reacted exactly as described in the training," Dowd wrote to the Johns Creek Police. "People looking around at each other, asking if it was a drill, confused. With my amazing training, I hopped right up, yelled at everyone to get up and get out. My area exited safely down the stairs and out of the building. I told my team to get in their cars and out of the parking garage, you never know where the shooter may be. Luckily, it appears to have been a false alarm. The JCPD should be proud of the quality of their training. If you haven't already, take the class. I pray you never need to use it, I never thought I would, but boy am I glad I did."

This training was developed by at Texas State University ALERRT – Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, Kalish said. Since 2002, ALERRT at Texas State has been awarded more than $72 million in state and federal grant funding, and has trained more than 130,000 law enforcement and fire officials nationwide in dynamic, force-on-force scenario-based training. In this funding cycle, the program is operating on more than $22.7 million for national training. They have also trained more than 200,000 civilians in our Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Avoid-Deny-Defend awareness program.

The training sessions focus on:

• Avoid – Get out! If you can get out of the area/building, then go.
• Deny – Hiding is not an option. In an active shooter situation, we have found that the shooter will come back to see if you are alive. If you are still breathing, they shoot you again. Deny access to the room, either by barricading, locking (whatever you have to do).
• Defend – If you cannot get out or deny access, you have to fight. You have to get control of the weapon/person. JCPD is not saying nobody will get hurt or killed. But you will be able to save numerous lives. JCPD teached about how your body reacts under stress and how to try to combat it and be able to think and respond appropriately.

"We will continue to have active shooter classes, but there are no future dates yet," Kalish said. "Last year we were able to reach about 1,000 people in the area. My goal is to get the message out and teach as many citizens as we can how to respond in an active shooter event."

Authorities are searching for answers about why a rifle-wielding gunman shot dozens of people at a packed Walmart store in El Paso, killing 22 people and wounding 26 more. Specifically, investigators were looking Sunday into whether the mass shooting was a hate crime after a manifesto posted online prior to the attack said the massacre was in response to the "Hispanic invasion of Texas."

Gunfire erupted around 10:40 a.m. Saturday as back-to-school shoppers packed the store near the Cielo Vista mall to capacity, police said. Shortly thereafter, the suspect witnesses described as calm and methodical surrendered without incident. The death toll rose to 22 Monday after two more of the shooting victims died.

A federal law enforcement official who spoke to Patch identified the shooter as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas.

That night, a gunman dressed in body armor opened fire outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio's popular Oregon historic district Sunday, killing nine people and wounding 27 others. Police then shot the suspect to death.

Gunshots rang out near Ned Peppers Bar on East 5th Street around 1 a.m. Sunday, police said, and nearby officers "put an end to it quickly," police Lt. Col. Matt Carper said at a press conference. He said the suspect was killed in less than a minute after he began firing.

A federal law enforcement official identified the shooter on Sunday as Connor Betts, 24, of Bellbrook, Ohio, as CBS News first reported. Betts worked in Centerville at a fast food restaurant, the official told Patch.

A trauma surgeon at Miami Valley Hospital told reporters Sunday his facility activated a mass casualty plan around 1:30 a.m., mobilizing the entire team. The hospital received 16 patients. Four were admitted and one was critically hurt, he said. All have undergone or will undergo surgery.

Patch National Editor Dan Hampton contributed to this article.