ORONO (NEWS CENTER Maine) – One police department in Maine decided to take steps to make its community feel safer in the wake of several nationwide shootings, starting with a course on just what to do in the event of an active shooting.
"People want to feel safe,” Officer Ed Lesky with Orono Police Department said.
Lesky is the school resource officer at Orono Middle and High School. He said teachers, parents and students were voicing concerns immediately following the shootings in Parkland, Fla. like never before.
Lesky and other members of the police department decided a course designed to specifically educate the public could better prepare people in the event that kind of tragedy happens in their hometown.
In the wake the Youtube Headquarters shooting in Calif., the training comes as fears are reignited of the possibility of violence in the workplace.
Every day he speaks with students and teachers about how they can stay safe, something he says many people just do not think of in their daily lives.
"Some people don't know they can run, run from the danger. A lot of them freeze but they can actually run,” Lesky said as he walked the halls of the high school.
The course aims to identify basic skills to practice in the event of a shooting, as well as ways to help yourself and others.
"My children see things that are happening across the country,” Sophie Wilson said.
Wilson, a mother and Town Manager in Orono, plans to attend the workshop. She said she was not surprised by the support on social media for such a training.
The Department first floated the concept in a Facebook post.
That post received a significant amount of reaction, including from people outside of town who were interested in participating.
"Everybody goes about their everyday lives thinking about the work that they have to accomplish and the relationships they're building, and not necessarily about the fact that sometimes bad things happen to good people,” she said.
Members of the Orono Fire Department will also be taking part in the course in collaboration with the Partners for Peace organization.
Lesky hopes those involved in the training can put politics aside, to simply prepare people for the worst case scenario.
"I get very angry at people who want to harm others and I want people to have the tools to feel safe and remain safe,” Lesky said.
The course is scheduled for Thursday, April 4th at 7 p.m. at the Orono Town Office.