College of DuPage Homeland Security Training Institute to host free Mass Casualty Response Workshop Oct. 30

Gain an insider's perspective into the tragedies at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla., and the Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas, two of the largest mass casualty shootings in American history, during "What Was Learned From Orlando and Las Vegas."

Hosted by the College of DuPage Homeland Security Training Institute (HSTI), the free workshop is offered from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 at the McAninch Arts Center on the college's Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd. Registration is required.

Open to law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, trauma center and medical personnel, criminal justice and fire science students, and all public safety employees, the workshop features Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Captain Nick Farese and Orlando Police Department Lieutenant Douglas Goerke.

"As a nation, being prepared to respond to and mitigate mass casualty incidents is never easy, but it is exactly why critical response professionals got into this profession; to help people and to keep them safe," said HSTI Director Tom Brady. "As first responders, it is critical that we learn from events like the tragic mass shootings at the Pulse Nightclub and the Route 91 Music Festival. Law enforcement officers who responded to these horrific incidents will provide first person presentations on their department responses and effective decision making; from what went well, to how their training and preparation were critical in this response to an extremely stressful and chaotic situation."

A 17-year Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department veteran, Farese currently serves as Bureau Commander of the Traffic Bureau. Past positions includes Executive Lieutenant to Sheriff Joe Lombardo and as the Administrative Lieutenant of Northwest Area Command. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia Southern University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and serves on the Police Managers and Supervisors Association Charitable Foundation Board.

Goerke, a 17-year veteran of the Orlando Police Department, has held supervisory roles in the Patrol Division, Tactical Patrol Unit, The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Unit. He has served on the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team as an Operator, Tactical Paramedic, Team Leader, and a Deputy Team Commander. Goerke currently is a Task Force Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, Commander of the Orlando Police Department Intelligence Unit/Violent Crimes Initiatives, and Deputy Director at the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange.

Learn more about this event and register at www.cod.edu.

The Homeland Security Training Institute at College of DuPage is focused on education for law enforcement, fire science, first responders and corporate security personnel. HSTI offers courses in law enforcement, disaster preparedness, counterterrorism, intelligence, emergency response, and NIMS/NRF/ICS and private sector security.

Learn more about the HSTI at College of DuPage at www.cod.edu/hsti/index.aspx.