LOCAL
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 - 16, 2019 • Page 2
Police to host active
threat awareness classes
BY CARLA PARKER
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Clarkston Police
Department is preparing
residents to respond to high-
threat situations.
The department will
hold a free active threat
awareness class Jan. 23 at
the Clarkston Library. The
class covers topics such as
active shooter events and data,
Clarkston police preparedness,
law enforcement and first
responder’s readiness and
physical disaster response.
Lt. Harry Hess, who
teaches the class, said the
program began in 2017 as part
of the department’s community
outreach and education efforts.
He said the class is more of an
active threat awareness class
than active shooter awareness
class.
“We do it periodically. We
try to do it quarterly because
unfortunately, it happens too
often,” Hess said.
Hess said the main focus of
the class is teaching residents
the adage A.D.D., which
stands for avoid, deny and
defend.
“It’s very similar to run,
hide and fight,” Hess said.
“We’re trying to explain
everything to everyone, as far
as; if at all possible, we want
you to avoid the situation. So,
you need to get out of Dodge
when something doesn’t seem
right.
“The deny [point] is if you
can’t get out, you’re going
to basically shelter in place
or lockdown into a room,
barricade yourself into that
room,” he said. “The defend
aspect of it is that if you do
face a threat, there are no
rules—it’s life or death.”
Hess said he also makes
sure participants know that
doing nothing is no longer an
option.
“Siting there, waiting,
hoping and praying does not
increase your survival chances
at all,” he said. “If you can,
remember the avoid, deny and
defend [method]. You avoid
[the threat] if you can. If you
can’t get out, you deny the
entrance wherever you are but
then reassess if you can get out
of that place. If you can’t, then
prepare to defend.”
Hess said he is aware that
in high-stress situations people
can sometimes forget what
they have learned, which is
why he constantly goes over
theA.D.D. method.
“The repetition of really
hammering the avoid, deny,
defend and doing nothing is
no long an option [method]
is probably said 100 times
throughout the entire
program,” he said. “I would
love to put on scenario-based
training, but the liability aspect
of that prevents me from doing
that.”
The class begins at 6:30
p.m. at Clarkston Library,
located at 951 North Indian
Creek Drive.
Obituary
Inez Sims Griswell,
age 99 met her Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ December 25, 2018.
After a short illness she passed
away at Hospice.
Inez donated her body to science
at the University of Mississippi.
She was born in Dacula Ga,
Gwinnett County to Lola Ethridge
and Herman Sims.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her
husband Ernest Griswell and grandson Ricky
Cowan.
She is survived by two daughters Alice Tidwell
(Larry) and Sherry Cowan (Richard); grandchildren
Robyn Smith and Wesley Cowan; four great
grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Wages & Sons
Funeral Home in Stone Mountain Ga, Saturday,
January 19, 2019 at 1:30 pm.
Lt. Harry Hess of Clarkston Police Department teaches a class on active threat awareness. Photo from Clarkston Police
Department’s Facebook page
METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Notice of Public Hearings
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
Transit Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering the
Proposed New Bus Service and
Bus Service Modifications for April 13,2019
for the following bus routes:
Route 49: McDonough Boulevard;
Route 50: Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway;
Route 79: Sylvan Hills;
Route 95: Metropolitan Parkway;
Route 172: Sylvan Road/Virginia Avenue
(Replaced by New Community Circulator Route 872);
New Route 177: Glenrose Heights;
Route 178: Empire Blvd./Southside Ind. Park;
Route 192: Old Dixie/Tara Blvd.;
Route 850: Carroll Heights/Fairburn Heights;
Route 853: Collier Heights;
New Route 872: Sylvan Road/Hapeville
All route information, videos and comment forms are available at www.itsmarta.com.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
Wednesday, Jan. 23
Thursday, Jan. 24
Clayton County
Commission Chambers
112 Smith Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Community Exchange: 6 pm
PUBLIC HEARING: 7 pm
Riding MARTA: Bus Route 193
Decatur Library
Auditorium
215 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA 30030
Community Exchange: 6 pm
PUBLIC HEARING: 7 pm
Riding MARTA: Blue Line to
Decatur Station; exit onto Church
Street and continue one block east
Fulton County
Assembly Hall
141 Pryor St., SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Community Exchange: 6 pm
PUBLIC HEARING: 7 pm
Riding MARTA: Bus Routes 21,
42 and 55
Copies of the proposed Bus Service Modifications will also be available for public viewing at MARTA’s Headquarters Office of External
Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324 during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 5 pm.
For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations contact, (404) 848-4037. For
those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD)
at 404 848-5665.
In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the hearings and want to provide
comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card atwww.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments no later than Janu
ary 29, 2019 to (404) 848-4179.
All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the subjects
to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and present such evidence,
comment or objection as their interests require.
martaxx Jeffrey A. Parker, General Manager/CEO
