I attended a mandatory work conference as part of our
annual staff training days last June. The presentations included in the
training are usually routine and extremely boring and I have difficulty keeping
interest with the speaker. As an accountant who rarely intermingles with any
employees other than my department, it is hard to find interest in a two-hour
presentation related to customer service. But, little did I know, today would
be different and I would hear a story/presentation that would positively affect
my life.
This meeting began with a safety presentation where
the director of campus safety showed a video entitled Run, Hide, or Fight
depicting what to do in an active shooter scenario. Though this is a great and
informative video, I had seen it multiple times and began to wonder if we would
be subjected to the typical presentation from previous years. However, the mood
changed when Captain Lance Blanchette from the Daytona Beach Police Department
was introduced. Capt. Blanchette was a twenty-four-year veteran of the force
and was asked to give a speech about what to do in an active shooter. Though
this was a presentation, it had many story-like qualities and it resonated
deeply within me.
The idea of an active shooter is an extremely deep
subject and nobody wants to think it could possibly happen to them. However, the
sad reality is that it could happen to anyone at any time. Capt. Blanchette
began the ‘story’ by describing how preparation can save your life in an
ill-fated event such as an active shooter. He mentioned that the first thing he
does anytime he goes out to eat, goes to a movie, or goes to a show is to
create an action plan in case of an emergency. He thinks to himself, what would
I do if something terrible were to happen? Which door is closest? Is there
anywhere safe to hide? His words prompted me to become more cognizant of my
surroundings. I try to assess each new location just in case unfortunate events
do occur. Capt. Blanchette also told us that if you see something please say
something.
He told a story of a young student at Virginia Tech
who was acting strangely one week in the hallway. One day he was seen taking
steps down the hall and writing down information in a notepad as if he was
counting and recording steps. The next day he was seen with a measuring tape
and rope measuring the doors of the building. Many students and teachers
noticed these strange actions but failed to think anything of it. As we may all
be aware, this student was planning an unthinkable action and was later
responsible for the deaths of 32 students in a Norris Hall classroom
(Pelletiore, 2017). Capt. Blanchette questioned whether these individuals would
be alive today if someone would have said something about the odd behavior they
witnessed.
Denning (2011) noted that a successful storyteller
should be lively and use visual aids to their advantage. Capt. Blanchette did
use visual aids in his presentation as he had some stats and figures about past
mass shootings and, but they were not the star of the story. It was obvious
that he was the star of the show. Denning (2011) stated that a good delivery
includes facial expressions and tone of voice. Capt. Blanchette’s delivery was
on point as he was talking about doing everything you can to stay alive in an
active shooter situation. He said if you are in your office and cannot get out
then hide, but first grab your scissors, letter opener, or anything sharp you
can find and remember to take off your belt.
One of the individuals observing the presentation made
a comment about a belt doing nothing if the individual had a gun. When hearing
this Capt. Blanchette calmly removed his belt, took his keys out of his pocket,
and attached the keys to his belt. He then started swinging the belt like a
madman and invited the individual to come up and try to harm him. The ‘heckler’
then stated that he would not do that because he would get hurt. Capt. Blanchette
then stopped swinging the belt and responded that no he would not hurt him- he
would beat the ever living snot out of him. I do not believe Capt. Blanchette
did this to humiliate the individual but more to prove a point about doing
everything you can in to stay alive. He stated if the shooter does not know you
have a belt to swing then it will give you a better chance to make it home
alive.
Though this type of conversation and story can be hard
to digest as it is a difficult subject, Capt. Blanchette was not all doom and
gloom in his lesson. The use of comedy in a story, especially when the subject
matter is heavy, can be a way to make the story more comfortable while
connecting with the audience. He showed a clip of a lady cowering in the corner
crying while the shooter was roaming the halls nearby. The coworkers who were
in the room hiding with her were trying to get her to be quiet but had no luck.
Capt. Blanchette premised his statement by saying that he does not condone
violence on women or anyone else but made a joke that in this situation he
would knock the lady out and beat the shooter with her if it would save both of
their lives.
During his presentation/story Capt. Blanchette was
extremely adamant in the purpose of his communication. He mentioned multiple
times that as the good guy(s) in this situation we must do everything we can to
stay alive. He mentioned that he had been in several situations where shots
were fired and the only thing that was going through his mind was the bad guy
will not win and I will do everything in my power to get home to my family-
they will not take me away from my family. He strongly urged that we think
about something that we refuse to lose and fight with everything we have to see
that person, place, object again and not let the shooter win. He stated that
focusing on family or friends will increase the will to fight.
Captain Blanchette was very clear in his vision and
purpose of the story and worked to create a feeling that each person in the
audience understood his communication. He questioned the audience multiple
times to make sure they understood not only what he was saying but the depth
and meaning of the story. One thing he told the audience that will always stay
with me was that if we were ever in an active shooter situation do everything
we can to survive one additional minute. He said that he is coming and he is
bringing all of his colleagues in law enforcement with him and they will get
the shooter and save our lives if we can survive until their arrival.
Whalen and Ricca (2007) described a concept of felt
sense which is defined as shared understanding creating a feeling in the person
hearing the story telling them that the storyteller is right. When Capt.
Blanchette described the scene of the shooting, he mentioned that when law
enforcement officers do come in to find the shooter do not rush up to them and
ask for help. Though they have trained for a scenario like this, there is still
fear and excitement rushing through them. He explained the best way to get
yourself injured or possibly killed is rushing up to an officer who is looking
for the shooter. He said to try to remain calm and hold your hands up so the
officer understands that you pose no danger. As he was describing this scene I
could picture it and was able to tune in with my felt sense. I remember the
feeling I had in my stomach indicating he was right and I must remember to
fight my emotions if I was ever involved in a tragedy such as this.
This story resonated with me on so many levels and is
very memorable because of its timing. The mandatory training was held on
Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Two days later, 22-year-old pop star Christina Grimmie
was shot at the Plaza Live Theater in Orlando, FL by one of her fans (Hayes,
2017). This tragedy shocked the nation but the shock would, unfortunately, be
short lived. The next night/ early morning 49 beautiful souls were lost while
attempting to have a fun night out at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL. (Mettler,
2017). These individuals were killed because the shooter did not agree with
their lifestyle. I remember Captain Blanchette stating that he loved giving the
safety speech but it seemed like every time he gives one another tragedy takes
place. This time tragedy struck and it
was our community who was puzzled and mourning. The speech had already left an impact on me
but because of the activities that took place the following weekend, his words
of wisdom will be forever engraved in my memory. I am not guaranteed to survive
an active shooter, but his story and knowledge will give me a better chance to
get home to my family which is what Capt. Blanchette desires from everyone who
attends his presentation.
References
Denning,
S., (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling; Mastering the art and
discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
Hayes, C. (2017). Christina Grimmie: The forgotten story of a singer’s
legacy and the troubled man who killed her. Retrieved from
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-christina-grimmie-anniversary-investigation-20161212-htmlstory.html
Mettler, K. (2017). A year ago 49 people died at Pulse
Nightclub. Today Orlando remembers. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/12/a-year-ago-49-people-died-at-pulse-nightclub-today-orlando-remembers/?utm_term=.5796269f4b99
Pelletiere, N. (2017). Inside Room 211: The massacre at Virginia Tech
remembered 10 years later. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/room-211-massacre-virginia-tech-remembered-10-years/story?id=46701034
Whalen,
D. J., & Ricca, T. M. (2007). The professional communications toolkit.
Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
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