The numbers are staggering. More than 300 mass shootings in the US since the first of the year. Fifteen of those occurred in Georgia and 16 in South Carolina. According to the FBI, 45% occurred in a business or commercial setting and 24% in schools.
It’s the kind of sobering report that keeps Powell Asset Protection Agency busy, teaching people how to shoot, offering armed security details, and creating safety plans for churches and businesses.
Clifford Powell is a combat veteran and law enforcement officer who has built his company, which opened in 2015, around a team of 23 employees with similar credentials.
“It would be ridiculous for a business not to have a safety plan in today’s world,” according to Powell.
• 69% of organizations view an active shooter incident as a potential top threat.
• 79% replied that their businesses were not fully prepared for an active shooter incident.
• Communicating with and confirming the safety of those in an impacted building were seen as the biggest challenges during an active shooter situation by 71% of organizations. Despite that, most don’t have a communications plan in place.
• 61% do not run any active shooter preparedness drills at all.
On the campus of Augusta University, Chief James Lyon conducts safety training for all departments.
“We try to stay on top of indicators and behaviors and have those reported to our office,” Chief Lyon said.
There are more than 18,000 students and employees on campus at any given time. Being prepared for active shooters is a daunting task.
“Shooters picking on innocent children like the case in Uvalde are the lowest of the low, but we strive to protect our students, no matter the age, and employees here, the best we can by being as prepared as possible.”
That preparation includes teaching how to barricade and hide in the worst-case scenario. Perhaps with the passage of House Bill 280 making it legal to carry on campus, it may also include getting trained.
Powell’s Clearwater, SC-based Asset Protection Agency has a stack of requests from CSRA businesses to create a plan to keep their workplace safe.
“There are a couple of steps businesses can take initially, which include a communications system to alert all employees of a threat and training them to scan the property to spot anything that looks out of place.”
Powell’s company also offers training on proper gun handling and shooting which includes a shooting simulator. Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) classes are also popular and required in South Carolina to carry a weapon either open or concealed. A permit is not required in Georgia.
For more information about classes and services offered through Powell’s Asset Protection Agency, visit the link.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
