Solero Hosts Annual Safety Day
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Solero Technologies hosted a safety day for employees at the local plant on October 19. Sgt. Aquarius Phillips with the Water Valley Police Department taught the workers how to react during an active shooter situation using the acronym A.D.D. – Avoid, Deny and Defend.
WATER VALLEY – Hundreds of employees at Solero Technologies gathered outside the plant for the annual safety day last Thursday.
“Safety first, quality always,” CEO Dr. Donald James told the crowd to kick off Solero Safety Day 2023. He also challenged workers, setting the bar for three million accident-free hours at the plant. The hour-long event then transitioned to important safety tips including how to use a fire extinguisher, how to react during an active shooter situation and how to administer CPR. The tips were taught by first responders set up different stations in the parking lot.
Using the acronym A.D.D., Sgt. Aquarius Phillips provided a simple, three-step reaction in an active shooter situation – Avoid, Deny and Defend. Phillips shared to “avoid” the situation by dropping everything and running if you hear gunshots.
“If you start hearing gunshots, or if you think you hear gunshots, you avoid the area. You drop everything and run,” Phillips stressed.
The next step is “Deny,” as the officer explained to take refuge in a closet or another room and barricade the entry. The final step, Defend, was instruction to take action if you encounter the shooter.
“Get a broomstick or anything you can find to defend yourself,” Phillips told the crowd.
The officer also provided information on what to do when law enforcement officers arrive on the scene.
“We are coming in to take out the threat,” Phillips explained.
He stressed that anyone in an active shooter situation should show their hands to officers when they arrive to help them identify the threat.
“Our ultimate goal is come in and take out the threat. We are going to stop the killing and then we are going to stop the bleeding.”
Water Valley fire chief Mark McGavock had a new training tool, a contained, remote-triggered fire to allow different workers to practice using a fire extinguisher. Using the acronym P.A.S.S., the demonstration included pulling the pin, aiming, squeezing and sweeping to extinguish the fire.
Water Valley fire fighter Layth Terry (top photo) provides instruction on how to use a fire extinguisher and EMTs (below)showed how to perform CPR on an infant.
The final station was manned by Yalobusha General EMTs and included practicing CPR using adult and infant mannequins.
