A major forum was held Wednesday at the Port of Tampa Bay to address the threat of mass shootings. It was part of a safety series put together by the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
Organizers of the event told ABC Action News that being ready and having the skills necessary to react could possibly save your life.
"I think people just wonder, if something like that did happen, what exactly to do," said Steve Hegarty with the Tampa Police Department.
Tampa police led an "active shooter" scenario at the port. Police stress that awareness of what could happen is key to keeping yourself and your family safe.
"It's just a little piece of mind. You hope stuff like this never ever happens," Hegarty told ABC Action News.
All of this is a part of the Tampa Downtown Partnership's security series. The program takes a look at terrorism, the threat of mass shootings and other security trends.
"We need to be prepared on many levels to keep our district safe," said Donna Chen with the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
The program, which also included a forum discussion, was sold out. That's some indication that many people in the local business community take preparedness for a threat like this seriously.
"People do fire evacuations all the time, and that's probably saved thousands of lives over the years. So, why not train active shooter in the same philosophy? Know what to do, so if you get in a situation like that, you're prepared to take action for your own personal safety. Absolutely, this will save lives in the end," said program participant Mark Dubina.
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