Residents, students and employees within the state of Florida can agree on one thing… it’s important to start taking proactive safety measures in order to halt the all too common mass shooting events that keep happening in the southern state. The discussion diverges from there, with several viewpoints on both sides of the political spectrum.
Florida’s recent history with mass shootings is appalling… in 2016, 49 were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. In 2017, five died in the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting. And so far in 2018, two more shootings on Florida soil… 17 were killed in the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and three died, including the gunman, at the most recent shooting that took place at a Madden video game tournament in Jacksonville.
On Sunday, Florida Governor Rick Scott said “We have got to change”. Gun control advocates see this latest shooting as yet another reason for gun laws to tighten up. The Parkland shooting earlier this year sparked some action from Florida lawmakers on the issue, banning the sale / possession of bump fire stocks, raising the legal age to purchase firearms to 21, and giving law enforcement more power to seize weapons from mentally unfit owners.
Others who oppose strict gun laws wish to see an end to gun-free zones… or at least an upgraded security presence inside of these designated zones.
These horrible tragedies are perhaps made even more tragic because of a reactive (instead of proactive) tendency to implement safety solutions in our public spaces.
Innovative, reliable and affordable technology already exists to help minimize the damage of, or even prevent altogether, these violent incidents.
Before the shooting in Parkland earlier this year, the suspect was spotted on school grounds by a staff member who contacted a colleague. The shooting could have played out differently, perhaps even thwarted, if the staff member had access to a safety app that could immediately send tips to safety forces able to respond quickly.
Though the lives of those lost in Parkland, and other Florida shootings, cannot be taken back… there are others who can be saved by our proactive safety measures moving forward.
To learn more about proactive safety technology, and how it can help protect our schools, institutions and public spaces, click here.