Police train for “active shooter”

4 March 2014

Coast Radio News
Local News

Practice Makes Perfect

It had all the makings of a tense situation.  A report of an armed subject, possibly holding hostages inside a vacant restaurant building in Old Town Florence last week drew a large and heavily armed response.

It was just a drill.

Interim Florence Police Chief Lyn Lamm said the training exercise was aimed at helping area law enforcement officers work safer and smarter.  The idea being the more you practice, the faster you can make decisions…

Lynn Lamm – “We drive all the time and we don’t have to consciously think about what we’re going to do when we make a left hand turn onto a street.  The more you train for it, the more you do it, the more proficient you are and you may end up saving your own life or somebody else’s because of that.”

The Friday morning drill, inside the former Lotus Restaurant, was organized by Confederated Tribal Police.  But, just like in any real situation, it involved officers from the city and Lane County. 

Lamm said it wasn’t the first time officers have practiced what to do in the event of what they call an “active shooter”.  He said he expects more such training in the future.

Administrator-Select Accepts

Lane County will have a new administrator later this spring.  Steve Mokrohisky (mo-kro-HI-skee) told County Commissioners over the weekend he would accept the position, becoming the third person to hold the job in the past six years.

The 36-year old Mokrohiskey has been the manager of Douglas County, Nevada since 2011. 

Lane County has a population about seven times larger than the mostly rural Nevada county just south of Reno.

Details on his employment contract have not yet been released… the position had an advertised salary range between $155-thousand and $175-thousand plus benefits.  The Board of Commissioners will take action to ratify and release contract information next week.

Dunes City volunteer Road Commission member Richard Palmer clears brush using his own equipment. (Dunes City photo)
Dunes City volunteer Road Commission member Richard Palmer clears brush using his own equipment. (Dunes City photo)

L-COG Citizen of the Year

A Dunes City resident will be honored next week as the “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” by the Lane Council of Governments.  The organization, made up of small and large government units throughout Lane County presents awards every year to the top elected official, government employee, and volunteer.

Richard Palmer is a very active member of the Dunes City Road Commission.  Dunes City Administrator Fred Hilden says in the past year Palmer has worked tirelessly, using his own equipment, to sweep the ten-plus-miles of Dunes City streets and cut brush away from the shoulders and keep culverts and drains clear.  Hilden estimates Palmer’s work has saved Dunes City between eight and 12-thousand dollars in the past year. 

The Annual Lane Council of Governments Awards Dinner was cancelled last month because of snow and freezing rain.  It will not be rescheduled so L-COG officials will present Palmer’s award at the March 13th Dunes City Council meeting.