N.Y. Deputies Train Business Owners to Deal With Active Shooter Situations

"Who are the first responders in an active shooter situation?" the Albany County Sheriff's deputy asked a room full of civilians.

"Us!" they shouted back.

Two trainers from the sheriff's office taught about 65 Capital Region business owners Tuesday at the Radisson Hotel on Wolf Road how to establish active shooter protocols for their companies and what to do if they become a target.

"Given enough stress, everyone becomes stupid," Senior Investigator Ron Messen said. The solution? Train until our response to the worst imaginable becomes muscle memory.

The training was peppered by questions and anecdotes about a gang-related shooting Nov. 12 at Crossgates Mall that was originally treated as an active shooter situation by responding law enforcement.

No one was injured in the gunfire that erupted outside the Apple Store during a fight between two men, police said. Eight SWAT teams spent more than 5 hours sweeping the mall.

Both Messen and his co-presenter, Deputy Michael Lombardi, were inside the mall as members of the sheriff's emergency response team. Messen is the team's tactical commander.

"A half an hour into it, they were still piping Christmas music over the public address system. People were still shopping," Messen said. "We don't want that to be you."

One of the first issues the instructors identified was shoppers who were glued to their smart phones didn't notice the chaos unfolding around them. "You're never going to see the person who drops that bag or is dressed inappropriately for the weather," Messen said.

Other shoppers didn't find the nearest exit.

Messen challenged people to replan their exit strategy every 5 minutes to see how it changes as they move through the stores. "Test yourself," he said.

The training was originally scheduled for mid-2017, Upstate New York Better Business Bureau President Warren Clark said. But after the Crossgates incident, local Chamber of Commerce officers decided their community it now, he said.

In an active-shooter situation, you won't have time to wait for someone else to take the lead or for police to arrive. You need to make a choice and act, the instructors said.

Humans' brains revert to their simplest form — a "lizard brain" evolved to fight, freeze or flee — under stress, the instructors said. They told the audience to question how well they've practiced for emergencies, how realistic their plans are or how seriously they've taken drills.

Hiding under a desk? "That's not a plan, folks," Messen said.

Instead, civilians need to practice the Department of Homeland Security's multitiered plan of run, hide, fight, the instructors said.

In an active shooter situation, "Just go," Messen said. Run out of the building and keep running, he said.

If you can't escape, conceal yourself and seek cover. "Become invisible," Lombardi said. Turn out the lights, lock the doors, quiet cellphones and remain calm. Hide behind things that will withstand gunfire.

If you still find yourself face to face with the gunman, you can attack the shooter with chairs, fire extinguishers, hot coffee or whatever else is available.

"Is someone going to get shot? Yes. Are we going to stop him? Yes," Messen said.

Some businesses have emergency buckets stashed in common areas, with zip ties and duct tape for securing doors, chain ladders for escaping upper floors and first aid kits to render medical care, the instructors said.

People who escape to safety can call 911 and tell dispatchers where the shooter is, what weapons he has and where the wounded are within the building — information police will use to plan their response.

The instructors also addressed how to act when the officers arrive on scene.

The first responders will go directly to the shooter, without stopping to assist the wounded. And as police sweep each room, people hiding or posed to fight should drop their makeshift weapons and put their hands up.

"Jazz hands," Messen said, throwing his hands in the air. Innocent civilians may be pushed to the ground but they eventually will be evacuated.

The Sheriff's Office has trained about 7,000 people on active-shooter response and each presentation is similar, Lombardi said. What sets each session apart, he said, is the group's questions.

The other main thread of the training was obtaining pistol permits to legally carry and use handguns for self defense.

"If you have a gun and you draw it on the shooter, what do you do when law enforcement arrives?" one audience member asked.

The instructors said gun owners should put one hand up and put the weapon on the ground with the other.

Others asked when or if they could shoot.

Legal gun owners have the right to defend themselves against a lethal attacker, the instructors said. "But you're responsible for every round that comes out of that gun," Messen said, referring to stray bullets hitting bystanders.

The instructors asked the audience of roughly 65 people who had a pistol permit, and about a dozen raised their hands. About half said they practice shooting monthly.

But how effective is their training in an emergency?

A shooting range represents a perfect scenario, not a realistic one, Lombardi said. At the range, gun owners lay their equipment on a table, staple their target, don protective gear and take a calming breath before firing their first shot.

"It's not going to happen like that in real life," Lombardi said. Only one of the pistol permit holders in the audience routinely shoots without a table, and none said they practice in an imperfect environment.

Messen suggested a handful of range exercises that provide more realistic training than stationary target practice.

"If you are not prepared to handle that weapon, you should not have it," Messen said. "If you're unsure of yourself, keep it as a recreational activity."

emasters@timesunion.com • 518-454-5467 • @emilysmasters

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