North Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - In light of recent tragic shootings, North Tonawanda is offering free to residents a training course to teach community members how to handle themselves in an active shooter scenario.
"After the tragedy that struck our Buffalo community, Texas and now even more, it's a way for residents inside North Tonawanda, outside North Tonawanda, to get education on how to handle a situation that individuals might have experienced at Tops in Buffalo, or at another grocery store or convenience store, any sort of situation, said North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec. "So our North Tonawanda Police Department is going to be running down slides that tell people what they should do in this situation, what they should look for, how to act. It's going to be quite an interesting presentation about an hour and a half long."
The town hall will be June 9th at 6 p.m. at the North Tonawanda Senior High School Alumni Center at 405 Meadow Drive.
The course is open to the public and free of charge, but attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable or toiletry donation for the residents of Buffalo affected by the mass shooting at the Jefferson Street Tops, according to the Facebook page of North Tonawanda Police Department.
The presentation provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event, with topics including the history and prevalence of active shooter events, the role of professional guardians, civilian response options, and medical issues.
"If there was an active shooter that you heard in a grocery store, what should you do? Should you get down on the ground? Should you call the police right away? Do you try and find the nearest exits? It all depends on the situation. You know, age has a lot to do with it too, depending on what your capabilities are and the setting you're in," said the Mayor.
Speakers of the event include Lt. Nick Iwanicki, a 15-year veteran of NTPD and assistant team leader for the T-NT SWAT team and retired Detective Steve Endres, a 20-year veteran and former T-NT SWAT team member.
The Mayor suggests those attending to be over the age of 18, as some information could prove unsettling to a younger audience.
To listen to audio from Mayor Tylec, see the player below:
