Preparing for the worst
LIHUE — Proactive measures can be taken to prepare for an emergency situation such as a mass shooting.
Having basic first-aid supplies on hand and learning how to apply them is what Kauai Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce considers important.
Ponce said it’s also a good idea to have “situational awareness” whenever attending public events, and to identify possible escape routes and hiding places. Additionally, he suggested locating “improvised weapons” that could potentially be used against an assailant.
He added, however, that being aware of your surroundings is “not to be confused with hypervigilance and paranoia.”
A few people have contacted KPD with concerns about safety, and the department has also received requests for active-shooter training from private and public establishments, schools and government agencies.
KPD officers provide training to people, including county agencies, upon request. They coach citizens about what to do in the event of an attack and give recommendations to make their surroundings more secure.
Kauai County also has personnel trained to respond to events of this nature in a way that’s consistent with national standards.
“The trainings are ever-evolving with the changing of tactics that assailants employ,” Ponce said.
“The county’s primary goal is to protect the citizens of our community from anyone who wishes to cause harm and to hold the person wanting or causing harm accountable for his or her actions.”
The county also offers programs for people should they need counseling services following a tragic event. The Employee Assistance Program, offered through a partnership with Work Life Hawaii, which is a part of Child &Family Service, provides counseling and social services to families in Hawaii.
“The recent tragedies are nothing less than horrifying, and touch us all — every community and people throughout the nation,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “Every loss from these senseless acts comes with a spiral of emotions and questions, and there are really no answers or reasons that can completely ease the pain so many are experiencing.
“I continue to have faith and trust in our law enforcement, our community and in humanity as a whole, that we will overcome these difficult moments together and become stronger and better than we were before,” he said.
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Coco Zickos, county reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or czickos@thegardenisland.com.