MONROE — Members of the Monroe Common Council were faced with jarring images at their meeting Monday when Monroe Police Sergeant Rodney Haraldson played a news story that included video of a school board meeting attended by a man with a gun shooting at a superintendent over the firing of his wife. 

The presentation had been a part of months of planning between Haraldson and Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert, who spoke at the meeting about his desire to create training sessions for public employees since he began taking on human resources duties for the city. 

Liebert said the shooting by a city employee of Virginia Beach at a municipal building on May 31 served as a grim reminder that the city needs some type of planning to ensure employees know what steps to take if a shooter enters a municipal building.

“I think a lot of people always thought, ‘it could never happen here,’” Liebert said. “But that’s likely what a lot of the other small towns thought too and now when we say Columbine, we know exactly what’s being referred to. I’d say it’s sadly and unfortunately necessary.”

The presentation from Haraldson, who echoed the sentiment that small cities can experience shooting events, included a video from the Department of Homeland Security. It demonstrated what people should do in the event of a shooting in their workplace, outlining the three words now familiar to most students in the United States: run, hide, fight.

Council members were informed that there is an automatic system that can reach MPD dispatch immediately with the tap of three numbers from any phone within City Hall. Haraldson said the now common news of a mass shooting drives the need for better understanding of what to do in emergency situations. If the person can run away, they should, he said. If they can’t get out of a building, they should hide in as secure a location if possible. And if there is no other option, individuals faced with a gunman should arm themselves with whatever they can.

“The goal is to interrupt their train of thought, even just for a few seconds,” Haraldson said. “They’re not going to be expecting you to throw a laptop at them.”

Liebert said the city plans to host training for all city employees within the next three months. He noted that the sessions will likely begin at the most public locations, like the municipal pool and City Hall, and take place at every building over the coming weeks. 

The goal is not to make employees paranoid that a threat is imminent, Liebert said, but to ensure that people are informed enough to make good decisions if a shooting ever happens. He said training is an important aspect of any job for a multitude of responsibilities, and active shooter training is now just another piece of that.

“Maybe in that moment of fear they’ll think, ‘just run,’” Liebert said.

Plans will likely include establishing a rallying point, which is a safe location where employees can report, and a requirement to notify supervisors of their safety if a shooting at a municipal building occurs.