Trouw Nutrition trains staff in active shooter response program

Trouw Nutrition in Highland participated in ALICE (Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate) training, a national active shooter response program, on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Lt. Ryan Meier and Detective Daniel Lipe, both of the Troy Police Department, led the ALICE training at Trouw Nutrition’s office building at 115 Executive Drive in Highland.

“In today’s society active shootings are becoming more common and the need to address the possibility of a threat are crucial,” said Detective Lipe. “The fact that ALICE-trained facilities have been tested in real life with proven results shows this training works. Although there are never guarantees, ALICE certainly gives people the training and options to increase their chance of survival.”

Justin Raney, manager, Regulatory Affairs and Safety at Trouw Nutrition, organized the event with the office manager, Donna Meskil.

“Trouw Nutrition considers the safety of our employees a very important topic,” said Raney. “We have all seen the news of active shooter incidents encompassing all aspects of our lives, including churches, schools, businesses and special events. This risk is growing more prevalent in the U.S., and Trouw Nutrition wanted to take a proactive approach to provide employee training with this topic as the focus. I feel the training ALICE provided our employees preparation on how to proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event.”

Following a one-hour presentation on modern active shooters and an explanation of ALICE, Lieutenant Meier and Detective Lipe led the 19 Trouw Nutrition employees through five active attacker scenarios, one of which Donna Meskil, Trouw Nutrition Office Manager, surprised her coworkers by being armed with an airsoft BB gun. They told the staff to carry on and respond at the first sign of danger. This provided an example of how an everyday gathering could turn badly in a matter of seconds so the staff practiced being prepared for any possibility.

“When I started shooting, I thought I was prepared and would hit most everyone,” said Meskil. “The gun jammed, and I was distracted. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, facing away from everyone. Anything can happen when there is an active shooter. Any distraction can stop the shooting. We all need to be proactive, but smart to save lives.”

Overall, the ALICE training was well-received.

“I thought the training was excellent,” said Derek Bardill, Materials Manager at Trouw Nutrition. “I am sure many people have imagined what they might do in those situations (I know I have), and I thought it was very beneficial to see which actions were reinforced with the training and which were corrected.”

Lieutenant Ryan Meier discusses with Trouw Nutrition employees different possible active shooter scenarios and how to adapt to them.

To show appreciation for the officers’ time and service, Trouw Nutrition donated a K-9 Ballistic Vest to the Troy Police Department’s police dog, Zak, on Tuesday, November 26.

K-9 Unit Handler Charlie Bair accepts a K-9 Ballistic Vest for the Troy Police Department’s police dog, Zak, from Justin Raney, Manager, Regulatory Affairs, donating on behalf of Trouw Nutrition.

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to train ALICE with Trouw Nutrition,” said Lieutenant Meier. “We had an awesome training group, and I feel that everyone walked away feeling more prepared on how to deal with an active killer than they were when they came in. With the place of business being the number one most likely place to encounter an active killer, it’s paramount that everyone gets proper training. ALICE empowers everyone to be able to make their own decision based off of what is happening in front of them, utilizing building infrastructure, and common-sense techniques to significantly increase their chances of survival if faced with an active killer. ALICE is common sense but not common knowledge. The Troy Police Department would also like to sincerely thank Trouw Nutrition for their generous donation of a police canine vest for out K-9 Zak! We look forward to building a great relationship with Trouw Nutrition and continue training in the future.”

Trouw Nutrition is a global provider of products for the companion animal industry.