Gateway to L.A. and LAPD Partner to Provide Active Shooter Training to Local Employees and Security Staff NR16040TI

Los Angeles: Nearly 200 local employees and security staff underwent a two-hour training in dealing with active shooter incidents as part of a program put on by Gateway to L.A. and the Los Angeles Police Department.

The training focused on the mantra: “Run, Hide, Fight” and stressed that there are many simple strategies to keep yourself and others safe in the case of an active shooter similar to the recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. “In an era when senseless killing seems to be far too common, training like this is critical,” said LAPD Pacific Area Captain Nicole Alberca. “The principles we teach those who attend might save their life.”

Among the concepts is the initial effort to run and to escape the area where an active shooter may be. Too many people fail to plan an escape route when they visit a theater, concert or other event that could be a target of an attack. When escaping from the area is unsafe or not possible, the training suggests that people hide in an area outside of the shooter’s view, lock the door, or block the entry to the hiding place, and turn off cell phones to avoid being detected.

Finally, if escape and hiding is not possible, participants in the training were instructed to fight in an effort to incapacitate the shooter. Trainees also received details about how to act when law enforcement arrives at the scene and what information to provide to 911 operators.

“We felt this type of training was an essential part of being prepared,” said Laurie Hughes, Executive Director of Gateway to L.A. “We work regularly with the local security teams at our member hotels and office buildings as well as with law enforcement, so this type of joint effort was a natural extension of that cooperation.”

The training was a first for Gateway to L.A., but LAPD offers similar training through its local police stations or by calling the LAPD West Bureau Training Coordinator at (213) 473-0276.

Gateway to L.A. is a Property-based Business Improvement District that features 12.3 million square feet of hotel, office, parking, retail and restaurant space immediately east of Los Angeles International Airport. Gateway to L.A. is strategically located to serve travelers visiting the City’s best-known centers for business and entertainment, including the South Bay beaches and area theme parks. Known for its architectural pylons that artfully change colors at night, Gateway to L.A. annually welcomes more than 50 million visitors to Los Angeles from across the country and around the world.