Page 16 - AAGLA-JUNE 2022

Member Update
16
JUNE 2022 • WWW.AAGLA.ORG
Reports About Shootings at Apartment Communities
and Workplace Violence Abound
OApartment Association of Greater Los Angeles Responds to the Crisis by Offering AVERT Training Courses
n April 28, 2022, Tucson, Arizona threatening incidents, and many also expressed their police responded to reports of concern about dealing with renters who have been shooting at Royal Palms Apartments, threatening or aggressive to them.
where they found a man suffering
from gunshot wounds. On April 29, 2022, a fatal shooting occurred at an apartment complex in Columbia,
South Carolina – the Columbia Police Department which was called to the scene around 11:00 p.m. that night said in a statement that upon arrival, they found a female who had been fatally shot. Also on April 29, 2022, the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff’s Office confirmed three brothers were dead following a shooting at the River City Landing Apartments that morning. These are just three of 100’s of similar incidents that had taken place during the month of April 2022, and that continue to occur each and ever day throughout the U.S.
Here’s a simple question: If faced with an active shooter at one of your properties or at your workplace, how would you respond? Would you freeze-up the way most people react? Or would you run and hide? Perhaps you would bravely face-off with the attacker to protect others? The bottom line here is, do you have a plan? Most of us do not have a plan when it comes to a life-threatening situation, but unfortunately, these types of situations often consisting of mass shootings have become very real and are very much now part of our daily lives, particularly when it comes to the news cycle.
AVERT: Active Violence Emergency Response Training
Recognizing the growing possibility that many of us might someday be exposed to a life-threatening situation, during the month of April, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles offered training courses in “AVERT,” which stands for Active Violence Emergency Response Training. During two, 3-hour sessions, participants learned how to recognize the signs of danger, how to react appropriately, and how to make rapid survival decisions. In the addition, the AVERT training went beyond active shooter response training and participants also learned how to control life- threatening bleeding.
Participants included a wide range of individuals from the small, “mom and pop” landlords, to large property management company personnel, to staff from the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. When asked why they wanted to attend AVERT training, many participants told stories of past exposure to violent or
Class participant, Candice Gurfunkel from MCM Property Management, Inc., demonstrates how to property disarm a gunman during a shooting incident
During the two training sessions, participants learned that when violence occurs, seconds count, and having a plan and knowing what to do is critical. Each participant became empowered to become an immediate responder by learning the tools to prepare for potential violence and react quickly in life-threatening situations. The AVERT training courses were taught by emergency responders, and the “key” takeaways from the AVERT training session were:
• Recognize warning signs using situational awareness
• Decide whether to Escape, Evade or Attack
• Apply critical bleeding control techniques
• Respond quickly and confidently in an emergency • Develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Future AVERT training courses are being planned by the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, including with the possible addition of a CPR training module. Look for updates in the online calendar for the next AVERT training course or simply contact Diana Alcaraz at Diana@ aagla.org for more information. Taking AVERT training can save lives, including your own...we hope to see you at the next training session.