Strategies For Survival

NPD Community Crime Prevention Officer Ryan Dornbos answering questions at the Active Shooter workshop

Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies presents Active Shooter Seminar
By Ken DeLaat
The latest chapter in  the Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies Seminar Series of community presentations took place Thursday at Tamarac as a capacity crowd attended the Civilian Response to an Active Shooter workshop put on by Ryan Doornbos, Community Crime Prevention Officer for the Newaygo Police Department.
Officer Dornbos delivered a compelling presentation using video and recordings of other episodes involving mass shootings as a backdrop to his message.
“Don’t Be A Victim”.
While pointing out some intriguing facts about shooters  Officer Doornbos focused on empowering people by illustrating methods to be used in surviving a situation no one ever wants nor expects to find themselves in.
The seemingly endless string of gun-related mass shootings have brought such workshops and seminars to the forefront. Schools, churches, businesses and other entities have begun preparing for the worst case scenario of having gun violence arrive at their doorstep.
With the uptick in incidents the message has been refined from a previous strategy of ‘Run and Hide’.
Officer Dornbos referenced these three steps
Avoid
Pay  attention to your surroundings
Have an exit plan.
Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better.
Deny
Keep distance between you and the source.
Create barriers  to prevent or slow down a threat from getting to you.                    
Turn the lights off.
Remain out of sight and quiet by hiding behind large objects and silence your phone.
Defend
If you cannot avoid or deny  be prepared to defend yourself.
Be aggressive and committed to your actions.   
Do not fight fairly.  This is about survival.
After fielding a few questions Officer Dornbos reiterated the message he returned to several times during the presentation.
“Don’t be a victim.
​“Our lives are important and you are not helpless. Be willing to do what it takes and the more you can do to be prepared the more likely you are to survive. “

The Tamarac crowd was attentive, appreciative.