Officer Ed Ashley introducing the CRASE training to East Greenbush CSD parents and caregivers on Thursday evening in the Columbia High School auditorium.
The East Greenbush Central School District continued its commitment to safety preparedness by hosting a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training on Thursday evening in the Columbia High School auditorium.
The training was offered to parents and caregivers by the East Greenbush Police Department and led by Detective Sergeant Mike Guadagnino and Officer Ed Ashley, who serves as the School Resource Officer at Columbia.
Detective Sergeant Mike Guadagnino leads CRASE training for East Greenbush CSD parents and guardians.
During the 90-minute presentation, Sgt. Guadagnino covered the history of active shooter events, the stages of disaster response (denial, deliberation and decisive moment), and how civilians can be better prepared should those incidents occur so they can protect themselves and others.
Sgt. Guadagnino gave practical advice to the audience such as knowing where emergency exits are in public buildings, how to control their breathing in stressful situations, and to not ignore sights and sounds that seem out of the ordinary. He gave the example of hearing fireworks inside a building and how you should not dismiss that so you can begin to act.
“During an active shooter situation, the best response often lies in the courage and quick thinking of civilians who are united in their instinct to protect one another and take decisive action, even in the face of fear,” said Sgt. Guadagnino.
CRASE training has been offered to East Greenbush CSD parents and caregivers periodically and to all faculty and staff annually. Staff will receive their training during the professional development day on November 1.
A modified version of the training is also being delivered to students in grades 6-12 this month in an age-appropriate manner.
“As part of our on-going preparedness for an emergency, we want students, staff and the community to be aware and trained in the event of a school emergency such as an active shooter incident,” said Superintendent Jeff Simons. “We hope that our school community never has to use this training. Nonetheless, we can never be too prepared when it comes to safety.”
The CRASE training course was developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, a research-based active shooter response training program. It provides strategies, guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event.
The school district offered free child care to parents and caregivers so they could attend the CRASE training. Columbia students, supervised by Principal Michael Harkin, watched the children in the art room, where they colored and had a movie playing on a smart board. Children also had the opportunity to play together in the fitness room.
For more information about East Greenbush CSD safety plans and procedures, visit the School Safety and Security page.