by Lynn Colburn
On Columbus Day, West Central Mass Transit District (WCMTD) held an Active Shooter seminar at its facilities at 1120 W. Walnut. Kevin Tavender, the safety and security manager at WCMTD, set up the training for the staff. More than 25 WCMTD staff members attended the training. Pathway Services Unlimited Quality Improvement Coordinator Michael Schneider also attended.
WCMTD is a public transportation provider servicing Morgan, Scott, Brown, Pike, Cass and Schuyler counties. Hours are Monday-Thursday 6 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday 6 a.m.- 8 p.m. by calling in advance to reserve a ride time at 217-245-9122 in Morgan county. The familiar WCMTD buses continue to run throughout the pandemic as an essential business. WCMTD is committed to providing a safe, reliable and timely means of public transportation to people of all ages and abilities. Masks are required and distancing on buses is provided. Buses are regularly cleaned and sanitized to keep them safe for passengers and drivers.
Tavender felt the active shooter seminar was an important proactive step for his team. He has taken the seminar in other areas and was impressed with the presentation by our local law enforcement authorities.
The active shooter training was put on by the Critical Conflict Solutions (CCS) team members Chad Moore and Jarrett Davidson. Moore has extensive training and is lead training instructor in the areas of firearms, tactics and defensive tactics. He also founded the Jacksonville Police Department’s Special Response Team. Davidson is a combat veteran having served in the United States Marine Corps during the Operation Enduring Freedom campaign in Afghanistan. Davidson was also a member of the Presidential Security Detail in Washington D.C. and Camp David. CCS offers firearm and tactics training to civilians as well as law enforcement. For more information, be sure to check out the Critical Conflict Solutions Facebook page.
“Kevin had asked if we could come out and give his employees an active shooter presentation and talk about different scenarios that might happen on a bus and what to do in that type of situation,” said Moore. “So we came out to give a comprehensive presentation to the staff and talked about how to address medical issues such as blood loss and other traumatic injuries.”
Davidson added, “This training for response to an active shooter in workplaces is relevant for other places throughout the community such as supercenters, sporting events and much more.”
The instruction included examples of previous incidents and shooting, shooter profiles and mindsets and more. The group learned how to identify threats based on the moods and behavior of a person. The training included both what to expect from law enforcement personnel and the proper response for civilians which include detection, putting distance between the shooter and civilians, and to be ready for anything.
The team explained the first response of drivers and staff is to identify a problem early and communicate with dispatch during regular check-ins. They discussed some de-escalation techniques and, if possible, evacuating the vehicle. Drivers learned they must be ready for anything.
Additionally, the team explained that in these situations WCMTD personnel have to be prepared both in mindset and with the proper medical equipment both on the bus and on their person since evacuating the bus will happen quickly. One of the key things CCS mentioned was that the situation will be like nothing they have ever experienced before. They must prepare themselves for the sight of extreme injuries and situations that are continually fluid and changing. They said one of the main keys to survival for such incidents is preventing blood loss.
Davidson showed the staff tourniquets which are key to have on them at all times, much like law enforcement does. He demonstrated how to apply a tourniquet on both an arm and leg, emphasizing it must be pulled tight enough to stop blood loss and may be painful to the victim upon application, but stopping the blood loss could mean the difference between life and death.
Tavender was the first member of the staff to practice applying a tourniquet. Davidson explained that to apply the tourniquet it was better to kneel on the wound to stop as much blood loss as possible while applying the tourniquet. However, if a staff member had knee issues, they should find alternative ways to help put pressure on the wound, such as kneeling in a different position with the other knee.
The training took all morning and staff asked many questions about different scenarios they might face. All felt the training was beneficial in preparing for a situation they hoped they never have to face.
If you are interested in joining the West Central Mass Transit District team, it currently has part-time driving positions open. You can download the application from wcmtd.org or come into the Jacksonville WCMTD office and fill out an application. If you have any questions on rides or positions available, please contact them at 217-245-2900.
