7/21: Sergeant Tim Cromer, CPD, “Active Shooters”

July 21, 2020:

Our life in the Zoom bubble continues and we have made the decision to maintain our social distance with video conference only meetings only through the end of August. That hasn’t prevented us from having great speakers, including this week’s representative from the Charleston Police Department, Sgt Tim Cromer, who discussed the CPD’s approach to dealing with active shooters.

Sgt Tim Cromer, with the Charleston Police Department, gave an excellent presentation this week on CPD’s Active Shooter Training and Response Tactics. Sgt Cromer is originally from Lexington SC and is a graduate of the College of Charleston and the Citadel. He has been on the force since 2004 and a member of the SWAT team for 10 years.

Sgt Cromer reviewed past historical trends involving active shooters, and how CPD has prepared and responded. After the Columbine shooting, the mindset changed from officers waiting for SWAT to forming up in small teams and making entry. Eventually, CPD determined that waiting for small teams, caused more delay, and began to train for a single officer response. Officers are given training and equipment to face armed attackers. Contact with law enforcement takes the offenders focus off killing and makes them focus on their own safety and security.

This improved training increase officer’s ability to respond quickly to stop the killing but there were still gaps in saving citizens’ lives. Because EMS was having to wait for the scene to be cleared, some injured victims who may have been saved with earlier treatment were dying due to blood loss, CPD joined with the Charleston Fire Department to begin training on a Rescue Task Force (RTF). RTF’s are trained to respond to a structure to begin lifesaving treatment before the scene has been fully cleared.

Sgt Cromer presented some FBI statistics. From 2000-2019 there have been 305 active shooting incidents in the US. More incidents occurred in commerce areas than any other locations followed by educational environments. In 2019, there were 28 incidents with 30 shooters. Of those, there were 29 males to 1 female. The predominant age group for shooters was 20-29, with 13 of the 30, 43%. Handguns were used in most incidents and in 4 of them the offender wore body armor.

To respond to incidents in public spaces, CPD stood up a Quick Response Squad (QRS) to provide a tactical response to critical incidents. QRS has put on numerous “Run, Hide, Fight” presentations for private businesses. They perform Security assessments for local businesses. CPD has increased the use of SWAT team Sierra unit members for overwatch during open air gatherings, such as festivals in Marion Square and outdoor events at City Hall.

CPD utilizes School Security Response Teams (SSRT) to respond to Educational Institutions. These members and School Resource Officers (SRO) receive additional firing range training and tactical medical training. They receive additional equipment: rifles with red dot optics, rifle rated shields, bolt cutters, sledgehammers, and individual first aid kits (IFAKS). SSRT does security assessments for all public and private schools in the City. SSRT’s follow up on any threats against educational institutions. CPD also partners with law enforcement agencies from local colleges to provide similar training in tactics across the departments.

For government properties, QRS met with department heads from every city facility and put on presentations on how to create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). CPD also coordinates with the US Coast Guard and State Ports Authority on their facilities.

QRS does presentations and training for Houses of Worship. If churches have armed security teams, QRS will do a one-day training with them for active shooter events.

CPD issues equipment to officers and teams for response to active shooters: rifles, IFAK, rifle plate carrier vests to each officer. Rifle rated shields are issued to each team.

In the Q&A after his presentation, a member asked whether red dot rifles were used to stop the shooting at Virginias Restaurant. Sgt Cromer gave a brief explanation of the events of that incident and confirmed that yes, a red dot rifle was used. Another question was asked about the riots on King Street and the likelihood of similar occurring again. Sgt Cormer explained that he is not on the Civil Disturbance Unit, CDU, so couldn’t speak to much to that event. But he did say that CDP has been increasing CDU numbers and that additional officers would have improved the outcome that night and in the future.

To access the Zom recording of this meeting go here.

Password: xk#gce1y

Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS

- Tom Leonard gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President Lisa welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
- President-Elect Rob Dewey welcomed and introduced our keynote speaker, Sergeant Tim Cromer of the Charleston Police Department for a discussion on “Active Shooters”..

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

July 28, 2020 | Issue 4971| President: Lisa Van Bergen

COMING EVENTS

- July 28 – Claire Ansell, Getting Your Business Through COVID (by Zoom)
- Aug. 4 – Anita Zucker, Life, Family, Resilience (by Zoom)
- Aug. 11 – David Ginn, CRDA (by Zoom)
- Aug. 18 – TBD – Teacher of the Year (by Zoom)
- Aug. 25 – Networking (by Zoom)

NEWS BRIEFS

IMPORTANT Meeting Update – ZOOM Thru August

With the continuous spike in COVID cases in our area, the Board decided this past week to cancel our in-person meetings through the end of August. We will continue to meet on ZOOM during this time with plans of returning to in-person meetings at Hall’s Signature Events after Labor Day – Tuesday, September 15th.

We hope members will continue to log in to ZOOM and enjoy meetings from the comfort of their home or office. No yummy lunch by Hall’s or the in-person camaraderie of your fellow Rotarians, but it is the next best thing to stay engaged and be connected to your Rotary family. And as we know, the impact of Rotary is felt through our volunteerism and support of one another and the community, especially during trying times.

July Dues Statements/Payment Options Expanded/Meal Fee Increase

If you haven’t already, please be sure to pay your July-December 2020 dues. Statements were distributed via email the last of June and are now considered past due. To assist you, we will be re-emailing statements this coming week to those with an outstanding balance. Please note that we have expanded our payment options and you now have the ability to pay via ACH and PayPal. Please note that there will be a 3% convenience fee added to all credit card dues payments.

Another IMPORTANT change …. Starting in July 1, meal fees will increase to $30 for both excused members and guests. We will also ask that meal fees (Excused & guests) be paid at the door. We will no longer bill.

Polio Giving

Rotary year 2019-20 was an amazing year for Polio Giving in our District. The total dollar impact to fight Polio was: $1,132,758.27

Cash: $139,386.09
DDF: $119,100.00
WF Match: $119,100.00
Gates Match: $755,172,18

This is the first time our District has been over $1 Million.

Our club was ranked in the TOP 3 in the District for total Polio giving with donations to Polio totaling $5841.46. Thanks to all of our generous members for supporting Rotary’s Polio efforts!

Important COVID-19 Message from the District

We wanted to share the below from outgoing District Governor, Johnny Moore. This will be part of our club’s COVID procedures going forward. We do not have any scheduled in-person Rotary gatherings until August, but please keep this in mind when we begin in-person meetings.

It has come to my attention that we need to set some ground rules for dealing with Rotarians who contract COVID-19 and how we deal with this in our clubs. First, for the Rotarians themselves. We MUST maintain absolute confidentiality for ANYONE who tests positive for COVID-19 unless they give us permission to share their information. That said, we MUST also ask, even require, that any Rotarian who has been to an in-person Rotary meeting or other function and later suspects they have COVID-19 report this to their Club President as soon as possible. This could be due to being in close contact with a person who tests positive or that they show symptoms. And, they absolutely must let the Club President know immediately if they test positive. Then, keeping confidentiality, the Club President MUST let all who attended that event know that there was someone at the event or meeting who came down with symptoms or tested positive. This will, at least, give all those notified the option of being tested immediately. And, it gives them warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.

With the increased number of cases being reported, this becomes even more critical to the health and welfare of our fellow Rotarians and their families. Please, join me in helping stop the spread of this nasty bug. If we are all vigilant and responsible, it can and will make a difference.

Meetings on ZOOM Thru August

With the recent spike in COVID cases in our area, the Board decided this past week to cancel our in-person meetings through the end of August. We will continue to meet on ZOOM during this time with plans of returning to in-person meetings at Hall’s Signature Events on September.

Rotary Happy Hour Hop

The last two of our Tuesday Rotary Happy Hour Hops in support of small businesses on King Street have been postponed until later this summer.

Shout out from Rotary Club of New Kent (Virginia)

Each week the Rotary Club of New Kent (D7600 VA) salutes another club for the great service they provide their community with a toast at the beginning of the club meeting. This new year, we have elected to salute the clubs from where our members were born/raised. This week, we salute you the Rotary Club of Charleston in honor of Chandra McPherson who is from Charleston, SC. Chandra is the head Librarian at the Heritage Library system which serves two counties in Virginia . Thank you for all that you do to make your community a better place.

In Rotary Service,

Colleen Bonadonna, Immediate Past President, Rotary Club of New Kent

Official Rotary Club of Charleston Statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support

The Rotary Club of Charleston Board of Directors met prior to our meeting this past Tuesday and adopted an official statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support in light of the recent unrest in our community and across the nation and the world. Rotary International had adopted an official statement on June 1, and we felt it was important for our Rotary Club to take a stand to condemn racial injustice and also show support for our small businesses who were affected during the recent rioting. While this has been a very challenging year for our community and our members with this pandemic and the resulting economic effects, we feel hopeful that a shift is occurring for the pandemic that has plagued our country for 400 years. In both our words and our actions, we have a chance to be a part of changing our future to one that allows all of our citizens to have a chance to live up to their fullest potential. With all the amazing and transformative impact the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston has had on our community and milestones that we have celebrated throughout this 100th anniversary year, you can be proud to be a part of an organization that lives up to our vision of uniting to create lasting change in our world, our communities and in ourselves.

The statement in its entirety can be found on the lead page of our club’s website.

July Dues Statements/Payment Options Expanded/Meal Fee Increase

In your Inbox this week will be your July-December dues statement, please be sure to make payment promptly. To assist you, we have expanded our payment options and you now will be able to also pay via ACH and PayPal. Please note that there will also be a 3% convenience fee added to all credit card dues payments.

Another IMPORTANT change: Starting in July 1, meal fees will increase to $30 for both excused members and guests. We will also ask that meal fees (Excused & guests) be paid at the door. We will no longer bill.

Global Grant Scholar – Madison Davis

Our Club is sponsoring Madison Davis, a junior at the College of Charleston, for this year’s Ambassadorial Global Grant Scholarship.

Rotary Foundation Global Grants are used to fund scholarships with sustainable, high impact outcomes in one of Rotary’s six areas of focus: peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. Madison is planning to attend the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine pursuing an MSc in Nutrition for Global Health. Madison will be in competition with a number of other candidates within District 7770 vying for a cash grant of up to $50,000 to attend graduate study for one academic year abroad. Good luck Madison!!!

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are looking for a way to help out in the community, Rotarian volunteers are needed on Saturday, July 25 from 8am-3pm to assist with a FREE COVID-19 Testing Drive –Thru at Burke High School, 244 President Street. Volunteer shifts are 2 hours. Please click on the link below to sign up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d45aba72ba7fa7-mega

As a reminder, we ask that you use discretion when volunteering – if you have been sick, or have had exposure to anyone who might have been exposed to Coronavirus, we ask that you please refrain from volunteering.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Virginia Lee at [email protected].

Volunteers Needed for Club Committees

Interact Club – This club meets at Charleston Charter for Math and Science, and helps promote Rotary values and volunteering with high school students. We co-sponsor the club with the Charleston Breakfast Club. The club meets Wednesdays from 11-11:30 am, and will continue to meet in the coming year, though as sponsors we might Zoom in depending on CCSD guidelines. The volunteer usually attends meetings once or twice a month. There is a Teacher sponsor who does the bulk of the work. I personally have volunteered with this group, and truly enjoyed the young people. Jack Mitchell was doing this but has moved to Atlanta. One to two volunteers needed. Contact Lisa Van Bergen at [email protected]

Social Committee – This group coordinates social events for the club. We need 1-2 people to chair the committee, and more volunteers are always welcome. Contact Lisa Van Bergen at [email protected]

Zoom Committee – Past President David Burt has done an outstanding job serving as our Zoom host and bringing you our meetings via Zoom each week. We will continue to offer meetings on Zoom for the foreseeable future. In order to do this, we need a few additional “Zoom-savvy” Rotarians to assist David with this task as there will be meetings that he will be unable to attend. If you are interested, please reach out to David at [email protected].

Club/District Emails

As a Rotarian and a member in District 7770, you are receiving emails from our club and the District. Both the club and the District try to minimize the number of emails being sent, but in today’s world of staying at home and no contact, emails are the main way to get information out and keep Rotarians connected. Please do not unsubscribe from District emails as this also effects your ability to receive club emails. If you unsubscribe from the District emails, then you are also unsubscribing from receiving club emails.

Contribute to The CART Fund On-Line

It is now easy to contribute and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has just rolled out a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.

Our Club is on Social Media

Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us picture of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be send to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].

MEMBER NEWS

Our most heartfelt condolences to Colleen Moring on the death of her father. Our thoughts and prayers are with Colleen and her family.

Best wishes for all of us to stay safe and continue to stay connected as we help those who are most vulnerable in our community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to fellow Rotarians if we can help you in any way in the days and weeks to come!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Megan Fink

- JOINED: 7/14/2020 (previous member of our club 2015-2017)
- SPONSOR: Father-In-Law Skip Fink
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Marketing/Non-Profit
- PROFESSION: Palmetto Goodwill, VP of Marketing
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: Has a twin sister

Birthdays

- 7/29 – Marc Howard
- 8/1 – Jeremy Cook
- 8/3 – Howard Chapman

By the numbers

- Attendance on July 21, 2020: 51
- Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Beam, Berry, Bini, Brack, Burgreen, Chico, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Cooper, Cooper, Coxe, Crain, Crouch, DeGraff, Diminich, Donaldson, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Frume, Gill, Giovanniello, Goxhaj, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Imam, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Le, Loredo, Lucy, Matheny, Minson, Miracle, Moring, Morse, Palmer, Patrick, Plotner, Ravenel, Riley, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Smith, Michael, Sottak, Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Teller, Vanek, Walters, Weston
- Out of Town Make-ups: None

WELLNESS TIP

Whip Up a Mocktail With Health-Boosting Ingredients

Give your liver a break and try mixing a healthy mocktail. Steer clear of the sugary juices and syrups and opt for healthier choices like hibiscus tea, kombucha, sparkling water, and fresh fruits. You can also combine fun flavors like grapefruit and mint, or green tea and oranges.

AREA CLUB MEETINGS

Mondays

Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville

Tuesdays

East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek

Wednesdays

Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville

Thursdays

North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.

Fridays

Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday. Currently meeting by Zoom. Contact [email protected] for log in information

SOCIAL MEDIA

Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.

We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.

ABOUT THE KEYWAY

The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.

President: Lisa Van Bergen
Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029