Ensuring safety among congregants and students in the Five Towns

In the wake of recent shootings at a movie theatre in Colorado, Sikh temple in Wisconsin and at Texas A&M University, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano aimed to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for such incidents.

The day before Sept. 11 was an appropriate time for the Nassau County Active Shooter and Security Briefing, Rep. Peter T. King (R-Seaford) said. “Eleven years ago, our lives changed,” he said. “We no longer have the luxury of hoping nothing goes wrong.” The briefing was held at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage.

An active shooting, according to Nassau County Police Department Sgt. Michael Savino, occurs quickly and involves one or more people engaged in systematic violence with a goal of murder. “We must get in immediately once we receive a call as every second of delay may result in more lives lost,” he said.

Savino said special events and mass gatherings, such as the Olympics and recent political conventions and debates are easy targets for potential attacks and it is vital that organizations and schools have a plan in place. “It’s important to develop a plan to notify police and identify evacuation routes,” he said. “Before planning an event make sure everyone knows their surroundings, exits and secure areas.”

Doris Weiss, a member of Congregation Ohr Torah of North Woodmere, said her husband, Arthur, who is on the board at the shul, attends the security briefing annually and she decided to accompany him because safety concerns are heightened during the high holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. “I’ve always been interested in the safety and welfare of our congregants,” she said. “Recently we’ve set up meetings to go over strategies to keep our congregants safe and notify them of all the exits.”