By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Tucson Police Department held a crisis response training session for downtown business owners and staff, covering active shooter response, crowd management and first aid — just days after a mass shooting outside a downtown business left nine people shot over the weekend.
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Dozens of merchants gathered for the training, which was organized in partnership with the Downtown Tucson Partnership and had been scheduled for weeks prior to Sunday’s shooting.
TPD trained participants on three main topics: how to minimize large crowds to prevent fights from breaking out, how to respond to an active shooter situation inside a downtown business, and how to render first aid following an injury-causing incident.
Crystal Moore, president and CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, said the timing of the training carried added weight.
“This training was scheduled before the event occurred, but in many ways, today’s gathering feels more important,” Moore said.
TPD Sgt. Will Ornelas said the goal of the training is for business owners to have a plan in place before an incident occurs.
“With these sorts of trainings, we don’t want the business owners to think about it while these things are happening. We want them to actually think about it beforehand so they have a plan and they’re better prepared,” Ornelas said.
Ornelas also noted the return of students to the area and upcoming cooler weather makes this time of year especially important for preparedness.
“Obviously with the students coming back, there’s gonna be larger scale events. There’s gonna be a lot more of the population downtown — mixing those with locals,” Ornelas said.
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James Wroth of the Fox Tucson Theatre said the training is essential for his staff.
“This is the sort of thing that goes really badly when you’re not prepared, and a little bit of preparation can go a long way in stopping an entire incident,” Wroth said.
Wroth added that the theatre’s size and visibility make it a potential target.
“We are a theatre, we, you know, if someone was wanting to kill a lot of people for notoriety, we would unfortunately be one of those targets,” Wroth said.
Moore said Sunday’s shooting has unsettled some in the community.
“I’ve heard about concerns and how we’re gonna go forward and overcome this incident that literally could have happened anywhere in our community,” Moore said.
She said she hopes the training provides reassurance.
“Awareness is key, confidence in the Tucson Police Department and their response, and communication,” Moore said.
TPD is working with the city on additional safety measures for downtown in the coming months, including establishing designated Uber and Lyft drop-off and pick-up zones and closing Congress Street to vehicle traffic during certain hours and days of the week.
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