Sevierville Police to Host Office of Homeland Security Public Training Courses

The City of Sevierville Police Department (SPD) will be hosting several public training courses presented by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security (TNOHS). The courses are designed for individuals, businesses, schools, organizations and other private entities.

The courses will be held at the Sevierville Civic Center on Thursday, March 19, 2015 from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. There is no fee to attend and no registration is required. Persons may choose to attend one, two or all three courses.

The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security Public Training Course schedule and topics:

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. What is “Suspicious Activity”

Every citizen being alert to and reporting suspicious activity is the best way to protect our communities from terrorism and other criminal activity. In July 2010, the United States Department of Homeland Security launched a national “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign, to raise public awareness and to highlight the importance of reporting suspicious activity.

This 1-hour presentation is designed to aid in identifying suspicious activity based on suspicious behavior and situations; as well as discuss who to report suspicious activity to and what mechanisms are in place to do so.

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Sudden Violence – Surviving an Active Shooter

Throughout the United States, acts of sudden and unexpected violence in schools, shopping malls, office buildings, and other public locations have been on the rise. Events like the shootings in Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, and Connecticut raise awareness of this continuing national problem.

This 1 1/2-hour presentation is intended for businesses, schools, and other private entities and will provide vital information about mitigating the threat posed by individuals who carry out acts of violence, along with information that addresses intervention, clarifies the role of those involved, and how to effectively respond to the problem. (This is not a tactical training course.)

4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Bomb Incident and Suspicious Package Management

Bomb and suspicious package threats persist as one of the most common threat related problems encountered by any organization.

This 1-hour program is intended for private businesses and other entities and designed to provide options for an organization faced with a bomb incident and/or a suspicious package at their facility. The program will cover reasons for bomb threats, credibility of the threat, search techniques, evacuations, and threat management choices.

For additional information about these courses or the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security, please contact Mary Thompson (423-317-8044; mary.thompson@tn.gov; Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. eastern time).

For additional information on the venue or directions, please contact Bob Stahlke, professional services and public information officer with the City of Sevierville (865-868-1695, bstahlke@seviervilletn.org.)

The Sevierville Civic Center is located at 200 Gary Wade Blvd. in Sevierville, Tenn.