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Friday 28 June 2019

The first Active Shooter Awareness Seminar held in Aruba

Organized by AAA, in cooperation with

JetBlue Airlines and Aruba Police Force

Figueroa, JetBlue Direc-
tor of Corporate Security
for international markets.
“Awareness and prepa-
ration are key to ensuring
safety, and we’re grateful
to the Government of Aru-
ba, the Aruba Police Force, that although KPA’s focus participated in a seminar
Aruba Airport Authority has mainly been on pro- geared at response and
and our crewmembers and viding valuable prevention intervention. “The recent
partners for helping us to presentations at several drills at the airport and the
offer the “Safe Schools Pro- schools and other entities, local school have provided
gram” in Aruba.” it was the second time our Rapid Response team
KPA’s Chief of Police Mr. KPA conducted such a drill with valuable lessons,” ac-
Andrew Hoo indicated and the first time that KPA cording to Hoo. q
ORANJESTAD – Aruba Air- experiences from the re-
port Authority N.V. (AAA) cent Active Shooter drill at
in collaboration with Jet- the Airport and stressed on
Blue Airlines and Aruba the importance of continu-
Police Force recently or- ous preparedness trainings.
ganized for the first time KPA also shared valuable
an Active Shooter Aware- tips on how to react and
ness Seminar with over 240 act during such an event.
participants. The purpose AAA CEO Mr. James Fazio
of the 2 sessions was to indicated that Aruba Air-
raise awareness on Active port is one of the busiest
Shooter incidents and to airports in the Caribbean
equip participants with tips region, with 29 different
and advise on how to sur- airlines contributing in pro-
vive such an incident. cessing over 2.5 million pas-
sengers per year and for this
During the morning session, reason it’s the airport’s duty
which was attended by lo- to protect users of this criti-
cal School principals, Jet- cal infrastructure. An Ac-
Blue Airlines presented their tive Shooter incident often
“Safe Schools Program” times happens in a few sec-
and focused on the effects onds and it will take a few
of an Active Shooter event minutes before Police can
at schools. A survivor of a reach the area. According
tragic school shooting in to Fazio it’s crucial that the
USA shared her survival sto- Airport community is made
ry and elaborated on the aware and prepared for
Foundation she started af- such incidents, however
ter her experience. Aruba unlikely we perceive these
Police Force (KPA) shared to be. Fazio applauds the
how KPA prepares itself to cooperation amongst enti-
respond to such incidents ties that recently organized
and valuable tips on how the Active Shooter drill at
schools can have their staff the Airport as these types
and students prepare plans of trainings create aware-
to save lives in the case of ness amongst all within the
such an event. Airport community.
The afternoon session was “Safety is our number one
geared towards the Airport value, and we consider it
Community and included important to collaborate
a Table Top Exercise led by with our business partners
JetBlue Airlines. Although and members of the com-
an airport incident was de- munity to teach preven-
picted, the lessons learned tion and the appropriate
apply in any work/life envi- response in a dangerous
ronment. KPA shared their scenario,” said Mr. Jose