PREPAREDNESS
BOMA/San Diego Hosts Active Assailant Drill
BOMA/San Diego recently conducted a large-scale active assailant drill, the third time it’s held this type of event. It was conducted at a downtown high-rise building, and it follows previous drills that took place at a mid-rise building and low-rise campus. The Emerald Plaza provided unique challenges due to its shared space with a hotel, the Westin San Diego. The San Diego Police Department and San Diego Fire Department broadened their tactical understanding of how best to secure a building with private and public areas. Bringing the two departments together to conduct these drills continues to be important since training in each unit is usually siloed and opportunities to train together are limited.
Planning the drill was a months-long process, but its benefits were invaluable. Conducting active assailant drills is a crucial component to any all-encompassing preparedness plan. Going through a full drill with tenants, building staff and first responders will provide each party with a better idea of what to expect should this type of incident happen. With National Preparedness Month coming up in September, now is the perfect time to plan a drill of your own. Congratulations to the members of BOMA/San Diego's Active Shooter Drill Subcommittee, who helped in planning the event: co-chairs Sonia Miró and Gary Griffin, Joel Allen, Thomas Crocker and Paris Cox.