On February 6, LeadingAge hosted a call with affordable senior housing providers on the topic of on-site active shooter situations.

The call featured guests Michelle Norris and Sonya Brown of National Church Residences, and Steve Wilder of Sorenson, Wilder and Associates, to discuss best strategies for preparing and responding to active shooter scenarios at affordable senior housing communities. LeadingAge housing provider members also shared recent experiences with efforts to de-escalate interpersonal conflicts at housing sites.

The discussion covered a variety of considerations to mitigate the risk of violence at properties, including trainings, staff-worn alarm pendants, and security vulnerability assessments. The call also covered actions to take during an active shooter situation, like communication and safety strategies, and actions to take following a violent event, like crisis counseling services.

The call was hosted by LeadingAge’s Housing Network, which hosts calls on affordable senior housing on Mondays at 12:30pm ET. Participation in the Network is open to all members of LeadingAge; for details on joining the Network contact Juliana (JBilowich@leadingage.org) or Linda (LCouch@leadingage.org).