Editorial: Out of tragedy, lessons in strategy and universal commitment
There was a time when standard law enforcement protocol in response to a deranged assault was to secure the perimeter of a building under siege and wait for backup.
This made sense when negotiations were possible and practical.
In the modern era where disturbed assailants often care primarily about setting death toll records, it does not.
To wait is to let people die. To wait is to extend the trauma for those who live.
And so law enforcement's approach has changed.
When tragedy struck at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora last February, responding officers went in, at great risk to themselves. Six Aurora police officers, in fact, were gravely wounded in the gunfight.
Five people were killed in that awful, unconscionable crime after a disgruntled employee pulled out a gun during a meeting to fire him, but all agree that without the courage and heroism of responding officers, many more would have been.
What has been learned from the recent years of outrageous mass shootings helped to reduce the carnage on that dark February day. What then did we learn from Henry Patt that can further help, going forward?
From a law enforcement perspective, one of the most overriding lessons is preparedness. Training matters, advanced preparedness training for police, medical personnel and other emergency responders; but also active shooter drills for occupants of large buildings and, for that matter, the public in general.
In addition: Though Aurora police and respondents from 41 other departments descended within minutes on the building, it took officers almost 90 minutes to find and subdue the assailant.
A review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency concludes that an accurate floor plan of the warehouse would have helped.
This is such a key and obvious lesson that it should become a matter of law, as it is in many communities. Any sizable office or building should be mapped, with maps made available to local police.
Offices and workspaces should be numbered in a way that they can be located in an emergency with precision. Such numbering may seem Dilbertesque, but the value to responders from fire as well as police can't be overstated. FEMA also recommends giving attention to the communications networks in such a chaotic situation, that the selfless response by so many agencies was amazing and inspiring but that it also raised communications challenges that ought to be addressed systematically.
Ultimately, the lessons of Henry Pratt lie in the universal commitment it takes to fight horrors like this.
As Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin observes: "Our greatest tragedy brought out of us a great triumph. The most important thing that Aurora accomplished was becoming 'Aurora Strong' and that strength and unity have now become an integral part of our identity."