Blackwell P.D. / City Hall run active-shooter course with hospital staff

The City of Blackwell and the Blackwell Police Department have been working to educate city employees and Stillwater Medical Center-Blackwell employees on active-shooter safety.

City Manager Jerry Wieland spoke to the staff at the hospital last week ahead of his active-shooter response training course for city employees at City Hall.

Jessie Holt, safety officer at Stillwater Medical-Blackwell, praised Wieland’s presentations to hospital staff.

“Jerry always does a great job in the way he presents his training, and he is very well informed and educated on the subject he is addressing,” Holt said.

“It is always informal, which allows the participants to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and give comments.

Before the presentation, Jerry did a walk-through of our facility. In doing so, he was better able to address some potential safety awareness issues that he observed. Jerry always gives us informative ways to add to what we are currently doing and ways to improve and enhance our safety measures.”

As the hospital’s safety officer, Holt stressed the importance of teamwork. “Each morning and throughout the day, I do a walk-through of the facility,” Holt said. “I check our access doors to ensure that they are working properly. I try to stop by various departments to visit and assist in any issues they may be having.”

Active-shooter response training is vital in today’s world, Holt said. “While we may never be involved in an actual active shooter incident, it is in our best interest to be prepared and stay prepared,” Holt said.

“That’s what these training are about, to help us keep in mind information that could potentially save our life in a bad situation.”

Safety was a top priority during the hospital’s extensive remodeling project, Holt said.

“We have added badge-only access doors in various places within the hospital, panic buttons and, of course, we still have our security cameras,” Holt said. “We try to keep a heightened awareness of what is taking place in the world today.”

Wieland said safety leads to a stronger community. “The City of Blackwell, along with the Blackwell Police Department, are excited to be able to provide this type of training in our community,” Wieland said. “Making our community safer and more aware creates a stronger Blackwell.”