The Milwaukee Post

14 • Milwaukee Post • September 27, 2013 Oak Creek administrator, national managers discuss local government roles in preventing and responding to gun violence Consensus is that city mangers must be prepared to deal with the 'unthinkable' No Charge - 7 Day, 24 Hr Access • 5 Sizes to fit your needs • Oversized Doors • Fenced & Lighted • Private, Dry, Clean Safe & Secure, Indoor Storage Convenient Access East of Airport We will meet or beat any advertised rate! 5000 S. Nicholson Ave. • Cudahy 414 483-8888 We Are A Christian Based Company PROBATE FOGGY WINDOWS A PROBLEM? and all related legal services when you have lost a loved one. Our office policy is to use the least expensive procedures possible to handle a decedent's affairs in the quickest manner. We will provide a quote after a free office conference. www.glassproinc.net Attorney James J. Winiarski 525-1599 NORTH: (414) 453-1060 WEST: (262) 679-4990 SOUTH: (414) 3625 W. 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Protocol at a mass shooting scene can differ depending on whether the shooter survives. "In our case, the shooter was arrested and is going through the criminal justice process. That influences how you operate," said George "Skip" Noe, city manager of Aurora, Colo. On July 20, 2012, James Holmes killed 12 and injured 70 in a mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater. The theater was packed with about 1,200 people in the theater at the time. Others taking part in the call were Deanna Santana, city administrator in Oakland, Calif., where on April 2, 2012, suspected shooter One L. Goh killed seven and injured three others at Oikos University; and Rudolph Smith, city manager in Norcross, Ga., where on Feb. 21, 2012, Jeong Soo Paek killed his two sisters and their husbands before taking his own life at the Su Jung Health Sauna. "In these incidents we have a movie theater, a Sikh temple, a university, a postal facility and a spa," Carlee said. "It can happen anywhere." We Honor A ll Who Served in the Military. Thank You! Norv's BARBER SHOP 2688 S. 13th St. 384-3380 Special Rates for Senior Citizens & Veterans Monday–Friday: 7:30am–5:00pm, Saturday: 7:00am–12:00pm Vietnam Veteran - VFW Member 234058243 Commercial & Residential turned out to be a key aspect as Oak Creek officials dealt with a community "that wasn't very well-understood in the city at the time," he said. "One of the real bright spots of this event is that the (Sikh) community became more well-known and appreciated," Peterson said. He also stressed the importance of keeping the city's back office operations engaged to support the frontline response. Ongoing training for first responders is vitally important moving forward, Peterson said. "Employees have to have appropriate training," he said. "One thing that we are going to continue to do is to make sure our firefighters and paramedics can be involved and enter into an active shooter scene. We need to make sure we have appropriate training and the directions to move into those events and that they have the proper equipment to do so as safely as possible." City managers must be prepared to deal with the "unthinkable" when it comes to mass shootings, Carlee said. They also should provide support and coordination to police officers and medical personnel in the field. Goleta, Calif., had only existed as a community for five years when Jennifer San Marco killed six people and herself at a mail sorting plant there on Jan. 30, 2006. "We were only five years old and probably not as prepared to respond to this type of incident than a more mature community," Goleta City Manager Daniel Singer said. The shooting in Goleta was carried out 234058074 MILWAUKEE – A gunman opened fire at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, leaving 13 people dead, including the shooter, in yet another mass shooting that has left communities across the country trying to make sense of the tragedies. The incident no doubt conjured up terrifying memories for those affected by the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek on Aug. 5, 2012. Wade Michael Page killed six worshipers and wounded four others before taking his own life. The injured included Oak Creek Police Lt. Brian Murphy, who suffered 15 gunshot wounds at close range but survived the attack. Although discussions around gun violence often focus on the possibility of congressional action and federal agency practice and oversight, local governments have an essential role to play regarding gun violence policy and procedures, both in responding to and working to prevent mass shootings, according to the International City/County Management Association. "We certainly don't want the temple shooting to define our community," Oak Creek City Administrator Gerald Peterson said. "We believe it's the community's response and our response that do a far better job in defining who we are and what is important to us." Peterson joined other local government managers who have dealt first-hand with mass shootings in a Sept. 24 conference call to discuss local governments' roles in preventing and responding to gun violence, as well as lessons learned from their experiences in dealing with the aftermath of their communities' tragedies. The association conducted the call in conjunction with the organization's annual conference in Boston. "We stepped back from the political debate and tried to look at the objective reality of what do professional managers need to know and need to understand about gun violence, recognizing that it can happen anywhere at any time," said Ron Carlee, Charlotte, N.C. city manager, who moderated the discussion. Peterson recalled how a picturesque Sunday morning turned tragic when a white supremacist entered the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek and shot members, both inside the facility and in the parking lot. Among the lessons learned from the incident is to maintain maximum availability to the press, Peterson said. "Make sure there is a clear and accurate message that is coming out to the community," he said. "Clearly, the media has very significant resources that they put to these events. Oftentimes, they are ahead of the information we have. We can only respond to what we know to be true." It also was important for the city's website to be continuously updated with accurate information, Peterson added. The site registered 2.4 million hits in a 24-hour period. "It's important that you stay up and running when the world really wants to know about these events," Peterson said. Cultural and religious sensitivity also 232520159 By RICH ROVITO Special to The Post

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