IBEW 1245 Health and Safety Committee member Dan Boschee was not sure what he was going to learn when he attended a class entitled “Surviving the Active Shooter,” at a National Safety Council meeting. But when the class concluded, Boschee knew he had to bring the information back to his employer and his fellow union members at Frontier Communications.
Ten minutes into the class, IBEW Local 82 Safety instructor Paul Chaney, wearing a full business suit, made a startling point when he produced eight simulated weapons that had been concealed in his clothing, and pointed out that the only exit in the room was a single door behind the audience.
Boschee realized just how important it is to have a plan in place in the off chance that something like that could happen at work, so introduced the information to the the members of the Frontier safety committee, which he chairs. Now, two years later, Frontier Communications is ushering in a new policy with required training for all 18,600 employees in nine states. The overall goal of the active shooter policy is to produce a means to respond to threats at Frontier locations and heighten awareness on how to stay safe in the rare event an incident may happen. Thanks to a collaborative effort from rank-and-file IBEW members and Frontier supervisors, a positive step has been made to address a potential threat.
On April 9, Boschee and three other members of the Local 1245 Health and Safety committee will travel to the Spring National Safety Council Labor Division and IBEW safety caucus to find information that will benefit their employers and fellow union members. The committee members include Carlos Rodriguez (Utility Tree Service), Al White (PG&E), Mike Gomes (Modesto Irrigation District), IBEW 1245 Senior Assistant Business Manager Ralph Armstrong and Business Representative Rich Lane.