FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Todd Frier
Email: tfrier@dps.ms.gov
The importance of training cannot go unnoticed – especially when it saves life. Recently, representatives from the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security led a session for a Gulf Coast school district on CRASE Training. Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) seeks to educate individuals on how to increase their survivability by using three primary principles: Avoid, Deny and Defend.
Last week, a “Thank You” email from the school district was received by the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security thanking the instructor for saving the life of one of the CRASE class participants. An intruder had entered the participant’s apartment and because of the training received from the class, this person was able to apply the training methods to Avoid, Deny and Defend while maintaining composure to keep calm and fight back if necessary. This quick thinking allowed the participant to pick up a knife and as that happened, the intruder ran out of the apartment.
“Encouraging people to take ownership of their own situational awareness and preparedness efforts is the first step towards a safer Mississippi. The Mississippi Office of Homeland Security is proud to be on the front lines of active shooter preparedness training,” said MS Office of Homeland Security Director Jenny Williams.
“This is evidence that training matters and saves lives,” stated Marshall Fisher, Commissioner of Public Safety. “Many times, you hear that training is one of the first items cut out of a budget to save money, but the reality is that there is a return on investment both to the organization and most importantly to the participants. I am proud of the work being done at the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security in their roles of response and preparedness in our state.”
For inquiries into MOHS Active Shooter Training Opportunities contact Laura Fosselman at lfosselman@dps.ms.gov.