YSU SBDC presents "It Didn't Have to Happen" active shooter conference

A conference on active shooter violence in schools and the workplace is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 27, on the campus of Youngstown State University.

The conference, tilted “It Didn’t Have to Happen,” is sponsored by the Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU and will be held in Williamson Hall on campus. The event features national and local experts discussing prevention and protection tools and techniques to help keep schools and workplaces safe. The event is geared toward business owners and school, hospital and government administrators.

Among the topics that will be discussed: Why active shooter incidents are on the rise; a look inside the mind of an active shooter; diffusing aggressive situations; “How Did I Survive?: A True Encounter with Workplace Violence”; responsibility and liability in an aggressive incident at the workplace; how to assess your physical location for vulnerabilities; and developing a plan to prepare your workplace for the worst.

YSU President Jim Tressel will offer opening remarks. Other speakers include Timothy Dimoff, founder and president of SACS Consulting and Investigative Services and one of the nation's leading authorities in high-risk workplace and human resource issues, security, vulnerability assessments, terrorism and crime; Travis Thompson, director of Risk Management for Hylant Administrative Services; Micah Stoll, law enforcement training officer with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy; and Bill Barna, founder of the Bolo Stick door safety device.

The cost of the conference is $79. Register here. For more information, contact Crystal Volinchak at cmvolinchak@ysu.edu or call 330-941-2140.