News Flash

NEWS RELEASE   Contact:  Chief Cynthia McAlister

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            cmcalister@purcellvilleva.gov, 540-338-7422

PURCELLVILLE POLICE HOST IN-PERSON CIVILIAN ACTIVE ATTACK CLASSES

PURCELLVILLE, Va., July 2, 2021 — The Purcellville Police Department is pleased to announce they are hosting four in-person classes for civilians as part of the Department of Criminal Justice’s (DCJS) Active Attack Program.  The program provides training for Virginia citizens and first responders to enable them to work together when an active attack occurs.  In April, the Purcellville Police hosted two virtual classes, but we are fortunate to offer four in-person classes on Friday, July 16^th and Saturday, July 17^th.  The Civilian Response and Casualty Care (CRCC) course is a four hour class providing strategies, guidance, and a plan for recognizing, responding to and surviving an active attack event.  The class is being offered twice each day; on Friday, July 16^th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturday, July 17^th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with participants only needing to register for one preferred time slot.  

This class combines the civilian response with the Stop the Bleed Campaign, which empowers civilians to provide life-saving medical aid before first responders ever arrive.  Topics include the history and prevalence of active attack events, civilian response options, and medical issues. Attending the April online class is NOT a prerequisite for attending the in-person class in July.  If one did previously attend an online course, we still encourage participants to attend in-person, since this class allows for hands-on practical based scenario training and will expand the foundation of knowledge taught during the virtual session. 

The course is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend/Run, Hide, Fight strategy developed by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) in 2004.  All Town of Purcellville and Loudoun County residents, local businesses and community members are invited to attend, including public and school employees, students who are 16 years or older, faith communities, and civic organizations. Local first responders including law enforcement, Fire/EMS, dispatchers are also allowed to attend. Classes will be held at Patrick Henry College, Hodel Building, 2^nd floor, South Classroom, located at 10 Patrick Henry Circle, Purcellville, Virginia. 

For additional information on the class, please visit the DCJS website at https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/training-events/civilian-response-and-casualty-care-crcc.

The CRCC class is offered free of charge, and participants must register themselves individually for one course using the following links:

Friday, July 16^th-Morning session at 8am-12pm:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0rFwh4b7Egf292hR991Ctsxg7MrgS4zw2VcfzNnug-u7ziA/viewform

Friday, July 16th Afternoon session at 1pm-5pm:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnkWbXSw_f8sbSzH_YZsyi0Jx5mgCHseDYFhFoPzi2YTCqgw/viewform

Saturday, July 17th Morning session at 8am-12pm:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDWJDchHwso14pxIhRu3X1odUNtoy8u6WqO44u9_74lI4aJg/viewform

Saturday, July 17th Afternoon session at 1pm-5pm: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzAdHCASm48g3dNTMSNVGcLFc3pGmzA8LVQiY_USgweSUYCw/viewform

“While summer is a time for planning fun activities, I also hope you take the time to attend a class that could potentially save your life, or the lives of others if you ever find yourself in an active shooter or attack situation.  While we all hope this will never happen to us, unfortunately active attacks happen in many different locations, including government buildings, grocery stores, colleges, retail stores, police and fire stations, and schools.  All locations that we have in town, or we all visit no matter where we live. I hope that no one among us ever has to witness such an event, but if one ever does occur in your presence, I want you to be prepared for how to act to protect yourself and if able, others too” stated Chief Cynthia McAlister. 

The Town of Purcellville, Virginia

“Purcellville-your small Town, where history and progress intersect and people prosper,” is an award-winning town of over 10,000 residents located in Loudoun County, approximately 50 miles west of Washington, DC. Having received the prestigious Siemens Sustainability Award for Small Communities, Purcellville continues to be honored for its green initiatives with most recently being the Tree City USA recipient for the 12^th year. The Town was reaffirmed as a AAA rated community by S&P Global Ratings, the highest credit rating possible, and is ranked “Safest City” in Virginia in 2020. Once a stop along the W&OD rail line, which has been converted to a multi-use trail from Alexandria, VA to Purcellville, the Town has maintained its historic old-town feel through the restoration and maintenance of its many downtown structures, reflecting the Victorian architecture popular during the early 1900s. Today, Purcellville is the economic hub of western Loudoun County and a popular weekend destination for antiquing, equestrian activities, farmer’s markets, wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants. More info at www.purcellvilleva.gov.

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