Mangano And Dale Host “Active Shooter” Briefing For School Administrators

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Nassau County Acting Police Commissioner Thomas V. Dale hosted a briefing at the Performing Arts Center at Adelphi University in Garden City on January 25th and 27th, for all 56 public school districts, private and parochial schools as well as colleges and universities in Nassau County to advise of the police response that will occur should an “Active Shooter” incident take place. An active shooter is defined as an armed person who has used deadly physical force on other persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims. This could include deadly physical force by means of a gun, knife, or other weapons.

“While we all hope we never have to face an active shooter situation, Nassau County is leading the nation in preparing school administrators for such an event should one ever occur,” stated County Executive Mangano. “The safety of our children must continue to be of paramount concern to all of us.”

While the topic was a sobering look at school violence and past incidents such as Columbine High School and the Virginia Tech shooting, school officials left with a renewed focus on the importance of preparation and maintaining close contact with their local police department.

The briefing was praised by the education community and has prompted the scheduling of subsequent briefings. Furthermore, the County plans to conduct future meetings regarding a variety of law enforcement/education issues such as public safety devices in schools. Future briefings will explore best practices and compare law enforcement and school protocols. The goal is to ensure that the County’s protocols are coordinated so that they collectively provide the best outcome for public safety.