Fox Chapel officials adopt new active shooter policy for borough

Fox Chapel Council on Monday adopted a new set of guidelines for Fox Chapel Police Department to follow when responding to an active shooter situation in the borough.

The council unanimously adopted the policy crafted by borough police Chief Michael Stevens, who was not at Monday’s meeting or available for comment Monday night. Before the vote, council members briefly commented on a recently released report about failures in how local, state and federal law enforcement agencies responded to the Uvalde school massacre in Texas.

An AP report stated nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to the shooting at an elementary school, but “systemic failures” created a chaotic scene that lasted more than an hour before the gunman who took 21 lives was finally confronted and killed.

“It still boggles a lot of our minds that there wasn’t some kind of action,” said Fox Chapel police Sgt. Jeffrey Clark, who filled in for Stevens at Monday night’s council meeting. “For years (the training has been) if you have an active shooter you have to go in.

(Our policy) says you’ve got to go in, confront and locate (the shooter).”

Clark said there may be a training exercise in the borough in the fall. Further details of the policy were not disclosed.

Council President Andrew Bennett said borough officials had an opportunity to review the policy prior to the vote, and they trust the police department to do all it can to protect residents.

“We want to give them the tools they need to do their jobs,” Bennett said.

Council Vice President Harrison Lauer echoed Bennett’s comments.

“We think that the police do a great job, and they feel this is necessary,” said Lauer. “We certainly support them 100%.”

Borough Manager Gary Koehler said he did not have a copy of the policy and deferred further questions and comments to Stevens, who could not be reached.

“I believe that this policy he has for active shooter is the most current and best policy out there,” Clark said. “They’re general guidelines. There’s a lot that goes on with this kind of situation.”

Clark said the policy was forged with input from law enforcement in Hampton, Indiana and O’Hara townships.

“I think it’s important to do something in our town to make it feel like it’s really your own,” said Clark. “We have been training and doing things. An active shooter (incident) is as real as it gets. Guys are prepared and continue to be prepared.”

Part of the Uvalde report included a nearly 80-minute hallway surveillance video that showed what had been called “a hesitant and haphazard tactical response,” the AP wrote.

Clark told council he would respond to such a call as if his child or wife were in danger. He also noted the need to set up a command post and communicate with other emergency departments.