Backing good planning with good work

communication between the various departments expected to respond?

Sarah Wright | Editor

If you’re not sure about any of those questions, it’s time to put the good work into the good planning.

Dwight D. Eisenhower once noted, “Good planning without good working is nothing.”

It’s true. A person can have all the best plans in the world, but they are pointless with no groundwork.

Across the country, municipalities, alongside their public safety agencies, are planning for active shooter incidents. The FBI’s “Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021” notes, “For the period 2017-2021, active shooter incident data reveals an upward trend: the number of active shooter incidents identified in 2021 represents a 52.5% increase from 2020 and a 96.8% increase from 2017.”

While no one expects or wants such incidents to occur in their hometowns, there is no magical shield to keep them at bay. Most localities have plans in place, but when was the last time they were looked at? When was the last time training was held to ensure everyone was on the same page regarding the plan? How smooth are the lines of

Writer Denise Fedorow spoke with communities doing just that, including Torrington, Wyoming, which recently held active shooter training. But the city doesn’t stop there. It layers related topics into other trainings and works to maintain good communication with the school corporation and other local jurisdictions. Fedorow also writes about how fire and EMS are preparing.

Having recently attended a crowded comic book convention, even with security present and bag checks, the brain instantly begins calculating risks and creating exit plans for different scenarios. I also hope my local agencies have put in the good work, just in case. I encourage everyone, no matter what branch of government you’re in to read Fedorow’s article. It is important for everyone to have awareness. And for police, fire and EMS, if you are not already working closely with your school districts, major employers, or other branches of the city, take the opportunity to do so and make sure their strategies for such a situation are workable.

In this public safety themed issue, The Municipal is also spotlighting the Western

Fire Chiefs Association’s innovative fire map, which will aid departments battling wildfires while also empowering citizens to better evacuate. Writer Kevin Kilbane also shares in his article that the WFCA will add new features in the future, including one that tracks where smoke from wildfires might travel.

Other featured articles include a look at Massachusetts’ statewide summer safety program of 2022, which saw a reduction in crime; Wisconsin’s Green Bay Metro Fire Department and Green Bay Water Utility’s partnership with local children to keep fire hydrants clear of snow; and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office of Florida’s program that seeks to reduce construction site thefts.

Stay safe this April!

On the Web

Find