Preparing for the worst
Congregation B'nai Abraham gathered security experts for active shooter training Wednesday.
By hosting the training, Butler County's only synagogue joined many Jewish organizations and places of worship in Western Pennsylvania to arm itself with knowledge in the wake of last October's shooting at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue. Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer said prior to that tragedy, she never imagined the need for such training.
“Unfortunately, people need this now, and not just in the place they worship,” Gray-Schaffer said. “They need it almost anytime they're in a public space. You never know where there will be an active shooter these days.”
The training came free through the congregation's membership in the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Brad Orsini, director of Jewish Community Security for the federation, led the program with help from some public safety personnel.
Orsini spent 28 years with the FBI before his current role, according to the federation's website. Gray-Schaffer said they've tried to arrange a session with Orsini several times since the shooting, but that in its aftermath his job grew dramatically busier.
“I think we need it,” Gray-Schaffer said before the training. “I know he's going to teach us when you run, when you hide and when you fight. And he's going to train us with ideas for our specific space. He'll give us specific plans for our building.”
Orsini preached the values of situational awareness. Safety can't be taken for granted, he said, and “hope and praying is not a plan” when an active shooter shows up.“Hate groups are here,” Orsini said. “They aren't going anywhere.”The cantor said she's met Orsini before and had one particular lesson stick with her.“This kind of training will only save us seconds,” she said. “But those precious seconds can save lives. He's just training us what to do for the first few minutes before first responders arrive.”The synagogue put out a wide invitation to all groups that make use of the synagogue, be it for worship or various classes.About 25 people attended.
