Planning to be prepared

VIA hosts event to help businesses ready for a worst-case scenario

To help businesses and employees prepare in the case of an active shooter incident, the Valley Industry Association is scheduled to provide a training on Tuesday, Aug. 21, for anyone interested.

“Active shooter preparedness is important now more than ever,” said Citizens Business Bank Vice President Jenny Ketchepaw, one of the event’s presenters.

She and a representative from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will share the best practices and protocols employers and employees should be preparing to utilize.

VIA’s monthly luncheon topics are chosen based on interest and best use to businesses and, while there are a myriad of current topics of interest, active shooter preparedness was at the forefront, said VIA Vice Chair Teresa Todd.

“The response to this topic has just been overwhelming,” she said. “We have one business that signed up 10 of their top management immediately.”

To accommodate the larger audience that is expected, VIA

chose to hold the luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, rather than the Valencia Country Club where events are usually held.

Todd added that VIA was able to prepare a thorough presentation for attendees thanks in part to resource materials provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to help educate businesses.

“It’s not just about knowing what to do at that moment, but to learn what to look for prior and how to recover from it,” Todd said.

To dive deeper into how some businesses have already implemented

these resources, Ketchepaw will share how Citizens Business Bank took action following the deadly shooting in San Bernardino in 2015.

“We immediately went into action developing our active shooter program, which included updating our emergency evacuation plan to include what to do in case of an active shooter incident,” she said.

Todd said the training is geared toward businesses but anyone is invited.

In November, VIA plans to cover the topic of cybersecurity. That session will also be at the Hyatt.

To register for the active shooter awareness training, visit www.VIA. org or call (661) 294-8088. For more information, contact the VIA office at admin@via.org.

Austin Dave/ The Signal Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies simulate an active shooter investigation outside Westfield Valencia Town Center last year. The Valley Industry Association is hosting its monthly luncheon Tuesday, Aug. 21, when there will be a discussion aimed at helping businesses know how to be prepared for such an incident.

Ryan Painter/The Sgnal Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies host an active shooter training drill at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in November.