The Great Bend Police Department will begin offering vulnerability assessments to local businesses including armed intruder, beginning about the first of March. The assessment will include flood and tornado threats as well as human.
“The police department and the local business will work together to complete the assessment,” said Jefferson Davis, police officer. They encourage training for staff and knowledge of emergency operation plans for the business.
The assessment covers building demographics, the company’s website, and accessibility such as, “how far can unknown visitors walk into a building,” said Davis. It also covers the climate and culture, building interior such as locks and air vents, grounds and exterior, outdoor lighting, the location of the fire hydrants, and availability of first aid equipment such as defibrillators.
They will also analyze the emergency operations plan to ensure that it is specific for any event.
The goal of the department is to create relationships. “The department wants to create relationships with the business before anything happens,” said the officer.
The assessment team will consist of Davis, Lieutenant Bill Brown, and various patrol officers. They expect to spend three days to a little over a week at each business on a part-time basis as time allows.
There will be no cost. “We want to offer this as a service to our community,” said Davis.
The business will be actively involved in the assessment, too. “Ideally, the business will have a team to work with law enforcement,” said Davis.
Depending on the size of the business, the team could include exterior safety and interior safety chairpersons, as well as others.
Davis said that each time a national event occurs, he receives questions from community residents questioning what can be done. As a result, the Vulnerability Review was developed.
He will offer a 45 minute active shooter presentation if desired, which includes the motto, “Run. Hide. Fight.” It also includes a proactive mindset, such as awareness of the closest exits and a plan of action.
“Most threats are internal,” said Davis. “Odds are extremely slim of a terrorist attack.”
“The end result should be an improved capacity by local businesses and their responding agencies to mitigate, plan for, respond to and recover from an emergency,” says a letter in the assessment manual.
Call Jefferson Davis or Lt. Brown for more information at 793-4120.