Westborough Police and Fire Departments Present Emergency Response Procedures
On February 17, 2019, members of the World Mission Society Church of God held a united New England Emergency Preparedness Training event in Westborough, Massachusetts. Since violent crimes and natural disasters are occurring more frequently, the members decided to organize this training with the goal of improving the safety measures of their communities. Church of God volunteers from all over the New England area attended the event.
The volunteers conduct awareness raising and victim relief activities all throughout the world to aid their communities. The event was open to not only registered volunteers, but also members’ families, friends, acquaintances and neighbors. The local Westborough Police and Fire Departments attended the training to deliver the emergency preparedness education. In total, 95 people joined the training.
The Westborough Police and Fire Departments mainly focused on teaching attendees how to respond when tragedies occur. Police Sergeant Todd Rossi and Detective Chip Dapolite started the training by introducing the A.L.I.C.E. Program. A.L.I.C.E.—which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate—is designed to give a person options and a sense of empowerment when facing someone who intends to cause harm. This is especially relevant in the current era as active shooter tragedies are on the rise.
“I hope this world changes and with your work it will,” stated Detective Dapolite after receiving a warm welcome.
Fire Lieutenant Ed Manion and Firefighter Bill O’Connor presented the second segment called Stop the Bleed: Save a Life. This is a national movement that aims to equip and motivate the public to provide immediate assistance during bleeding emergencies. Following the devastation of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, experts developed the bleeding control training in preparation for incidents that involve a large number of injured civilians.
“Unfortunately, we cannot prevent these things, but the best thing we can do is know how to respond,” said Lieutenant Manion during the presentation.
Participants Empower Themselves with New Knowledge to Save Others
Attendees divided into two groups, getting hands-on experience applying a tourniquet—a device that stops bleeding. The hope is that this knowledge will embolden community members to be more than bystanders in the wake of emergencies. Additionally, before the end of the training, Donna Nelson, Voluntary Agency Liaison of FEMA, spoke a few words of encouragement towards the training participants.
After the training, the police officers also viewed the Church of God’s history timeline. This exhibit depicts the Christian Reformation, prophecies about Jesus’ second coming, and God the Mother. Church of God members always strive to follow the example of Heavenly Mother who cares for the well-being of others. Moreover, by equipping themselves with their new knowledge they hope they can share God the Mother’s love even more.
As the training concluded, all participants felt reassured if put in a situation requiring them to take action. Furthermore, to thank and encourage the officers for all their hard work, members presented the Westborough Police and Fire Department representatives with gift baskets and a loud cheer and applause.
The event drew attention from several media outlets, such as Fox 25, Taunton Daily Gazette, MetroWest Daily News, Wicked Local, and Telegram. Moving forward, the Church of God believes neighbors will feel better prepared and empowered to protect themselves and others in times of emergencies. Contact us to learn more about volunteering with the Church of God and how to better prepare yourself in case of an emergency.
