NORTH ADAMS, Mass - After recent mass shooting incidents across the country, Emergency Response Consulting hosted a series of free active shooter survival classes in North Adams this week.

“We saw Buffalo,” said Amalio Jusino, president of E.R.C., about the deadly mass shooting earlier this month at Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. “The next day, there was another, and the next day there was another. Smaller scale, not so much publicity, but we track these things, we look at these things, and we said we’re going to bring this right to our community.” 

What You Need To Know

  • Emergency Response Consulting hosted free active shooter survival classes in North Adams
  • The classes are meant to prepare people in case of an active hostile threat
  • Topics included first aid techniques and how to recognize warning signs of violence
  • ERC will likely be hosting more classes in the future

Jusino said the classes aren’t meant to scare people, but rather to help them feel prepared.

“We do a bunch of things like putting on our seatbelts to keep ourselves safe,” said Jusino. “But how many people carry a tourniquet or how many people know what a pressure dressing is?”

The class covers first aid techniques, like learning how to use a tourniquet. It also goes over how to recognize warning signs and prevent violence from happening.

“So maybe we have a mental health crisis,” said Jusino. “Maybe we have drug issues or alcohol issues and things of that nature and why somebody may become irritated easier than they have in the past.”

Jusino said the classes are getting a good response, and there’s a strong interest in making sure the community is as safe and prepared as possible.

“We’ll definitely be offering classes like this more so people can better understand what to expect, how to prevent, and then ultimately how to recover from these types of things,” said Jusino.