Hundreds Turn up for Active Shooter Workshop
In the wake of recent tragedies involving gun violence at places of worship, the Mosque Foundation invited the Arab American Police Association (AAPA) to present a special workshop to educate staff, key volunteers and security personnel, as well as the community about drill and safety procedures. The program titled, “Protecting Our Places of Worship,” was held on the evening of Saturday, April 6, 2019, with men and women, young and old, filling up the second-floor hall of the Masjid. President Oussama Jammal notes that “The high number of attendees reflects the much-needed training for our community to be prepared. We are committed to protect our community and work with local law enforcement to ensure its safety and security.”
Eight officers from the AAPA presented the workshop: Sergeant Morad Haleem, Detective Jamil Askar, Officer Bassam Akel, Sheriff Eyad Awad, Officer Othman Shukair, Officer Obaida Sahloul, Lieutenant Nizar Hasan, and Detective Haytham Elyyan. The AAPA has volunteered many workshops and services in the past (Anti-Drug Seminar for Kids, Dealing with Law Enforcement, Ramadan security, etc.) and continues to support the Mosque Foundation community.
Vice President of the AAPA, Sergeant Morad Haleem says, “We feel it’s our duty as Muslim Officers to give back to the Community and educate them with safety precautions. We need to keep our Community aware of possible attacks and trending crime patterns. It’s extremely critical that people know how to react in life-threatening times.”
Although an active shooter attack is rare, it is nonetheless present in today’s society. As such, we must do what we can to be informed and responsive to make life-saving decisions. President Oussama Jammal agrees, “We want to make sure that the Mosque Foundation is empowered with an action plan that includes guidelines for dealing with an active shooter. Our prayer is that we will never have to deal with such a situation, but it is our obligation to be prepared in case of an emergency. The active shooter workshop was excellent training and proudly presented by fine and professional Arab American officers.”