IN BRIEF: ALERRT offers civilian response to active shooter seminar for educators

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
November 14, 2014

The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program at Texas State University will offer a free seminar on civilian response to active shooter situations Nov. 16 at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos.

"The School Briefings" is a free four-hour seminar co-sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund and Texas State Texas School Safety Center. More than 150 educators, administrators, superintendents and school board members will attend the event, which is also open to Texas State faculty and staff.

This year's presenters have some powerful messages and tangible takeaways for educators, administrators and school officials. Remarkable people with remarkable stories will share their tough and sometimes tragic stories. Lessons learned lead to plans, solutions and outcomes that provide real-world solutions in the broad spectrum of school safety. Scheduled speakers include:

Kristina Anderson, founder, Koshka Foundation - Anderson was a sophomore at Virginia Tech when she was injured in the shooting tragedy of April 16, 2007. She works to raise awareness on the importance of school safety and violence prevention through sharing her significant encounter with gun violence, as well as working and meeting with others affected by irrational acts of aggression. 

Will O'Neill, emergency management coordinator, Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University - O'Neill has served at the Continuity and Emergency Management Coordinator at the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and for Austin Independent School District. He will present methods for schools districts to develop effective continuity of operations programs, enhance school community integration during incidents, and create sustainable relationships to nurture resilient communities and schools. 

John Michael Keyes, executive director, I Love U Guys Foundation - The death of his daughter at the hands of a gunman at Platte Canyon (Colo.) High School compelled Keyes to bring his professional expertise to the arena of school safety. Today, his message is one of reunification. When crisis happens at a school, successful student/parent reunification is an essential component. 

Mark Anderson, firefighter/paramedic, Bellevue (Wash.) Fire Department and member, Committee for Tactical Emergency for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC) - Anderson will speak about first care providers, the critical role of non-traditional responders in the trauma care chain-of-survival, and how the people on the scene can make a life-or-death difference before first responders arrive.

John Curnutt, director of training, ALERRT at Texas State University - Curnutt will offer a brief lesson in Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) with the ALERRT Avoid Deny Defend awareness plan of action.

Walk-up registrations will be accepted, or preregistration may be completed online at www.tasb.org/apps/te/te_eventreg1.cfm?event=14rm_alert. For more information, visit www.tasbrmf.org/Member-Service-Center/Loss-Prevention/Member-Training/ALERRT.aspx or contact Diana Hendricks at (512) 618-3373 or via email at df26@txstate.edu.