In past years, Eisenhower Public Library officials would participate in seminars focused on what to do in the case of an active shooter at the building.
Last month, the preparation went a step further. The Harwood Heights Police Department worked with library staff members to conduct a drill.
“This time, they decided to take it up a notch and do an actual drill to implement some of the things we’ve taught them in the past,” Harwood Heights Police Chief Frank Biagi said. “We were more than happy to do that.”
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The department has conducted such drills at local schools, and officials said they are willing to conduct them for any establishment within the Harwood Heights community.
To begin the drill, library employees first watched a presentation detailing information on shootings and warning signs. After being given brief instructions, employees were sent to their regularly assigned work area. The scenario began when a faux active shooter— described as a “disgruntled patron” — entered the library.
“We started the drill where the patron came in, got upset and eventually pulled out a gun and started shooting.” Biagi said of the dramatization.
The department also discussed the strategy of “run, hide, fight,” with employees, providing a list of steps to think about if they find themselves in an active shooter situation.
“We always tell them if you can get out of the building safely, get out,” Biagi said. “If you can’t get out, you might have to run and barricade yourself in a room. We show them how to do that best.”
“Your last resort is fight, but if you’re face to face with this offender and you have nowhere to run, and you know there’s a good chance something bad is going to happen, you have to fight,” Biagi added.
Employees were asked to use the information they had previously learned to get themselves and others to safety. Biagi said he was impressed with how many of the safety tips they had put into practice.
Chris Clark, a marketing employee at the library, said after a safety presentation from the police last year, the team purchased emergency equipment designed to block and barricade doors.
“We discovered that some of these devices don’t work as well as expected,” he said. “So we’ll be looking into upgrading. We’re also revising our procedures for notifying staff and patrons when emergency situations are happening.”
Biagi said most people who participate in drills are nervous at first, but they become more confident by the end of the session.
“It’s something that makes people uncomfortable,” he said. “You don’t want to think about [an active shooter], and we understand that. But you have to think about this. You have to have a plan in your head. Having a plan in advance might save yourself and others.”
Clark commended the Harwood Heights police on making participants feel safe.
“We all understand the likelihood of this kind of scenario occurring in real life is very small, but we also understand that it is best to be prepared,” he said. “[The police assured] us that, should an emergency situation ever occur, they are only a few minutes away.”
“Our job is to prepare everybody,” said Biagi. “We’re hoping we’ll get people thinking, ‘maybe I should try this and have the police come here.’ ”