Easter 2019: Another Day to Remember & to Be Proactive...

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”  1 Peter 1:3

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Over 200 people were killed and at least 450 injured in bomb blasts that ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the first major attack on the Indian Ocean island since the end of a civil war 10 years ago.

On this Easter Sunday 2019, the world mourns the news from Sri Lanka. Across the globe people are reminded that evil remains a constant in our society today and for the future. Our prayers today are evident in every language and every continent...

Looking around your religious venue today you may notice a heightened presence of security and law enforcement.  Our public safety and first responders are on high alert.

So what can you do as a public citizen to learn, prepare and perhaps spring into action if you are ever needed?  How can you train and learn what to do, in the event of a mass casualty incident?  At your place of worship, place of education, place of business or place of recreation.

You can attend a training similar to this one, being offered in a community near you:

"ACTIVE SHOOTER (PAR) TRAINING WITH A FOCUS ON (Your Venue):"

Preparation – Action – Recovery

Mass shootings seem to be more and more prevalent nowadays. As the world focuses all its attention on the “why”, we must focus our attention on how we can better prepare our critical infrastructure sectors and communities alike. Learn about the signs and pre-incident indicators (PII’s) of an active shooter before it’s too late. And learn life-saving techniques during and after an active shooting such as how to use a tourniquet and other items in a “stop the bleed” kit.

PART 1 - PREPARATION: INTELLIGENCE SME - Pre-Incident Indicators / behavioral indicators of potential subjects prior to a terrorism or criminal related incident & how to be situationally aware and prepare for such incidences.

PART 2 - ACTION: SWAT SME - To address run-hide-fight, appropriate response for when law enforcement arrives on scene and active shooter survival kit.

PART 3 – RECOVERY: TACTICAL MEDIC SME: Trauma and treatment post active shooting incident. Use of trauma kit, chest seals and current industry standards. Tourniquet drills will be a part of this training.

If you are a Father, Mother, Brother, Sister or just a good friend, you must continue to think about being proactive.  To be ready.  To be more aware.

Take a moment this Sunday in your prayers for Sri Lanka and soon plan to be more prepared...volunteer at your church, school or business to be a proactive advocate and responder for Preparation, Action and Recovery.

Godspeed...