STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After Sunday night’s tragedy in Las Vegas, Sturgeon Bay Police Captain Dan Brinkman wanted to share his knowledge on what to do if anyone in his area is ever in a similar situation.
“They have to be proactive and they have to actively protect themselves.”
Last night, Brinkman spoke in front of about two dozen people at Sonny’s Pizzeria.
Brinkman has been teaching civilian response to active shooter situations since becoming certified two and a half years ago.
In that time, he has given countless presentations.
“I’m glad they’re doing it again so I can apply it to my new jobs.” said Sue Tong-Fredrickson of Sturgeon Bay.
If people were to only take one thing away, Brinkman would want it be A-D-D: avoid, deny, defend.
“If you can get out, get out. If you’re trapped in a building and you can’t get out, you have to deny entry into the room that you’re barricaded in. If its imminent that the shooter is coming into that room then you have to defend yourself like your life depended on it, because it does in that situation.”
Brinkman says what to do in an active shooter situation has evolved, especially since the Columbine shooting in 1999.
He says that is when people were advised to hide and police were told to wait for the SWAT team. He tells FOX 11 that is no longer the recommendation.
“If they don’t have a plan, history shows that they will become a statistic. If they have a plan and practice it in their mind, they will be successful or have a better chance at surviving.”
“I like to be prepared,” said Tong-Fredrickson. “I want to know what to do at any given time.”
Brinkman hopes that is the case for anyone who sits in on one of his 90-minute presentations.
Brinkman says two and a half years ago, when he was certified to teach civilian response to shooter situations, there were 40,000 certified officers. He believes that number has since doubled to 80,000.
