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It’s too bad it’s come to this, but we’re glad to see officials in small towns setting up active-shooter presentations.

None of us wants to think of finding ourselves in the crosshairs of an active shooter when we’re engaging in something like grocery shopping, attending a concert, watching a school play or cheering at a hockey game, but the reality is those situations do exist – and can just as easily exist here.

Duryea is the latest local community to offer an active-shooter training program with a presentation held last Wednesday evening at the Duryea Municipal Building.

The program, according to a story by Sunday Dispatch reporter Jimmy Fisher, was instructed by Tom Walsh, Duryea Borough police officer and director of firearms training at Lackawanna College.

During the training, Walsh touched on key points about what to do in an active shooter situation, such as escaping the area, barricading oneself in a room and fighting.

Walsh told those in attendance at the presentation the most important thing anyone can do is to be aware of their surroundings. Walsh went on to say that, if something bad should happen, people are encouraged to get out of the area as quickly as they can. If they cannot remove themselves from the situation, they should barricade themselves in a room to deny access to the shooter. And, if it comes down to fighting back, that’s what people should do.

About 30 people attended the presentation in Duryea, and Walsh was thrilled to know people are “taking their safety into their own hands.”

Duryea Mayor Keith Moss also was pleased with the turnout and glad to see members of neighboring municipalities such as Pittston Township, Hughestown, Dupont and Avoca.

The people who attended now have a better idea about how to handle an active-shooter situation and how to keep themselves safe.

Again, it’s sad to think our world has evolved to the point where we have to worry about active shooters in our midst, but it is comforting to know local officials take situations like this seriously enough to provide information about how to handle them.

It’s also nice to know people are being realistic about things like active-shooter situations and attending these presentations to better inform themselves.

We hope local officials will take advantage of Walsh’s expertise and schedule active-shooter presentations in their communities, and we encourage area residents to attend these presentations. The knowledge you receive could one day save your life.

One way to keep yourself safe in the event of an intruder is to tie a belt around the door arm to deny access.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Shooter2.CMYK_-2.jpg.optimal.jpgOne way to keep yourself safe in the event of an intruder is to tie a belt around the door arm to deny access.