Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/616401
ByElliotSpagatand Joyce M. Rosenberg TheAssociatedPress NEW YORK The terror at- tack at a social services fa- cility in California has be- come asoberingreminderto companies of how vulnera- ble workplaces can be when employees are confronted with active shooters. Since a gun-wielding hus- band-and-wife team killed 14 and wounded 21 oth- ers this month in San Ber- nardino, California, employ- ers across the country have been reassessing their emer- gency plans to ensure they are prepared to deal with workplace violence. More companies have been calling security and human resources experts to get information on how to prepare for an attack. The Los Angeles County Sher- iff's Department said big companies have asked for permission to use its nine- minute video, "Surviving an Active Shooter," which portrays shootings in an of- fice, a shopping mall and a school. And "Run. Hide. Fight.," a six-minute video created by Houston officials on what to do when someone opens fire in the office, has been viewed tens of thou- sands of times daily since the rampage, the most views since its release around the time of the mass shooting in a Colorado movie the- ater in 2012. Jackie Miller, the city of Houston's com- munity preparedness pro- grams manager, said one company asked for 6,000 wallet-sized cards with the mantra from the video, en- couraging workers to hide if they can't run, and fight if they can't hide. The company inquiries come as workplace violence in the U.S. has made in- ternational headlines. The most recent official statis- tics are two years old and show the rate of workplace violence to be steady for the previous two decades. Still, deaths resulting from work- place violence were the sec- ond leading cause of job fatalities in the U.S. after transportation incidents in 2013, the latest data avail- able, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And studies show that most companies are ill- equipped to deal with work- place violence. A govern- ment survey in 2005 found that 80 percent of compa- nies that experienced a vi- olent incident didn't subse- quently change workplace violence policies or pro- grams. The survey did not spell out what a policy or program would include. In practice, companies' response plans range from highly detailed to nonexis- tent, security experts say. Brent O'Bryan, vice pres- ident of AlliedBarton Se- curity Services, said when he gives seminars on work- place violence awareness across the country, about half the attendees say their companies have no policy. "I am not confident that most employers are pre- pared," he says. Part of the problem is that most companies don't know how to create a work- place violence plan, says Pe- ter Martin, CEO of AFIMAC Global, a security consult- ing company based in Mi- ami. Also, there's a belief by some that workplace vio- lence won't happen in their office: Indeed, smaller com- panies may not be particu- larly concerned about work- place violence following shootings, says Jay Stark- man, CEO of Engage PEO, a human resources provider based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "A lot of employers, espe- cially small and medium- sized businesses, believe even in the wake of all the things you read about: 'It can't happen here, not in my company, not with the peo- ple I know,'" Starkman says. Some companies that are aware of the potential for workplace violence are pre- paring in the event of an active shooting. Choice Ho- tels, for instance, designates employees who are able to block access to elevators and direct other staffers to evac- uation routes. Its response plans are continually evolv- ing, but no changes have been made since the San Bernardino shootings, says Anne Hendrick, vice presi- dent of human resources for the hotel company. Some companies also in- clude in their plans an em- phasis on preventing vio- lence before it starts. Beer and wine distributor Mon- arch Beverage, which has about 650 employees at its Indianapolis headquar- ters, has a doctor and nurse practitioner onsite who are able to handle mental health issues. Supervisors also are trained to recog- nize changes in workers' be- havior or to alert security if they anticipate trouble from a negative job review. "Our people are hyper- vigilant to make sure they involve our security team if they have any concerns whatsoever," says Natalie Roberts, senior vice presi- dent with the Indianapolis company, which also has an emergency plan. But even when compa- nies prepare for workplace violence, the end result can be tragic. Some of the San Bernardino shooting survi- vors followed workplace vi- olence training they were given about a year before the killings. Employees at the San Bernardino County En- vironmental Health Ser- vices division had gotten "active shooter" training in the same conference room where the shootings took place. Two survivors said colleagues reacted by trying to do as they were trained — dropping un- der the tables and staying quiet to avoid attracting at- tention. EMPLOYERS A er s ho ot in gs , wo rk pl ac es examine emergency plans JAEC.HONG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Arlene Payan holds a candle during a vigil to honor shooting victims in San Bernardino. By Christopher Weber The Associated Press LOS ANGELES After re- ceiving word that all Los Angeles schools would shut down Tuesday be- cause of a threat of possi- ble attack, many parents' first thoughts were about how to discuss the scary situation with their kids. Lupita Vela's 8-year-old daughter enjoys attend- ing Eagle Rock Elemen- tary on the city's northeast side, and Vela was worried about her daughter feeling unsafe in class. "I don't want this to be in the back of her head," she said. "Who knows what it does psychologically to kids? Is this going to cause her some kind of trauma so that she's not going to feel safe at school?" The shutdown at the na- tion's second-largest dis- trict abruptly closed more than 900 public schools and 187 charter schools attended by 640,000 stu- dents across the Los An- geles area. New York City officials said they got the same threat but quickly deter- mined it was not credible. Hours later, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said it was believed to be a hoax. Los Angeles police say the emailed threat was specific to all the campuses in the vast district and in- cluded implied threats about explosive devices, assault rifles and machine pistols. Parents should first re- assure themselves by get- ting as much information as possible about potential risks, according to Dr. Ja- son Hershberger, chair of psychiatry at Brookdale University Hospital in New York. Then sit down with the child and find out his or her specific fears, he said. "Each kid has a different relationship with school, with teachers, with other kids in class. So their fears can be very unique," Her- shberger said. "Ask them, 'What is the thing you're most afraid of?'" It's important to empha- size to children that while there are dangers in the world, there are also plenty of ways to deal with them and stay safe. "There are police, there are teachers, there are parents. When bad things happen, good people get together and figure out how to face it," Hersh- berger suggested telling frightened children. The decision to close the Los Angeles district dis- rupted the morning rou- tines of many families who found themselves suddenly facing discussions about fears rather than what ce- real to eat. Bobby Kim, co-founder of LA streetwear brand "The Hundreds," was mak- ing breakfast for his chil- dren when they learned of the closure. "It's a strange thing to have to explain to your kids, but I guess that's the world we live in," Kim said. Vela, who also has a son who is a high school se- nior, called the threat "ab- solutely terrifying" in light of the San Bernardino at- tack, which killed 14 peo- ple earlier this month. She got an automated phone call informing her of the closure. "I know the kids are anxious," she said. "Of course they're texting all their friends. Their phones are blowing up." Communication be- tween kids and their friends is important, and parents should resist the urge to shield young peo- ple from scary news, said Dr. Karen Rogers, a child psychologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She suggested compar- ing the shutdown to prep- arations for earthquakes — a practice familiar to every California schoolchild. "Earthquakes are a risk, but they don't hap- pen very often," Rogers said. "A threat like this is no different. It's about be- ing prepared, taking pre- cautions." Many parents were sup- portive of school officials' better-safe-than-sorry ap- proach. Kim said he was "ap- preciative for the prompt response and closures" but he hoped the "height- ened terrorism climate" wouldn't become a major worry for his kids. Lucrecia Santibanez, whose son attends a Los Angeles school, agreed. "The one thing I'm afraid of is now anyone can call in with a hoax and send everyone scrambling for options for their chil- dren," she said. SCHOOLS CLOSED RICHARD VOGEL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Police officers turn arriving parents and students away from a closed Edward Roybal High School in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. Pa re nt s gr ap pl e wi th talking to scared children a er threat I T only T A K E S A S P A R K . O N L Y Y O U C A N P R E V E N T W I L D F I R E S . s m o k e y b e a r . c o m Please Over80click-throughs every month I'm really happy with my digital display ad on the Daily News' website. Folks from all over who are interested in Red Bluff, not just locals, visit the website. And I get over 80 people per month who want to know more about local Real Estate for sale and click from my online ad, right to MY business' website! 530-529-2700 314 Washington St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 www.TehamaCountyRealEstate.com Published by The Daily News with great appreciation for the support of local businesses! | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 8 A