IGA Coca-Cola Institute Launches Online Course on Responding to Active Shooter Situations in Grocery Stores

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Retail Learning Institute/IGA Coca-Cola Institute Launch Online Course on Responding to Active Shooter Situations in Grocery Stores

The Retail Learning Institute/IGA Coca-Cola Institute, in collaboration with Rouses Markets and the Thibodeaux, Louisiana Police Department, is proud to announce the launch of an essential online course aimed at equipping grocery store employees with the necessary knowledge to respond effectively to active shooter incidents. Available in both English and Spanish, this concise 5-minute course provides a comprehensive how-to video that emphasizes the "Run, Hide, Defend" approach.

Alarming statistics released by Guns Down America have highlighted the urgency of addressing gun violence in grocery stores. In the past year alone, there have been 159 gun violence incidents and 42 fatalities reported at the nation's leading grocery retailers, as demonstrated by the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, at a Tops grocery store. Additionally, according to the Gun Violence Archive, large supermarket chains have experienced an average of four shootings per week, totaling over 600 incidents since January 2020.

In light of these alarming figures, this new course offered by the Institute is of paramount importance for the safety of grocery store employees and vendors. The course objectives aim to promote best practices recommended by local law enforcement agencies for surviving active shooter events.

Key features of the course include:

1. Identification of the three crucial actions to be taken during an active shooter event: Run, Hide, Defend.
2. Comprehensive explanations of the appropriate actions to take during each phase of an active shooter event, covering methods of escape, hiding strategies, and self-defense as a last resort.
3. Development of personalized exit plans and increased situational awareness to enhance the chances of survival during an active shooter event. 

"We have developed this course to educate and prepare our employees, as well as the wider grocery community, with the essential knowledge required to respond to active shooter situations," commented Ashley Candebat, Rouses University Dean. "Our hope is that this training will never need to be actively implemented, but it is crucial to be well-prepared."

The course is included in the catalog of courses available to all Institute retailers. Non-members can contact the Institute for further details https://retaillearning.net. For direct access to the course, please click here.

For additional information contact:

Ana Velázquez
Learning Solutions Director
Retail Learning Institute/IGA Coca-Cola Institute
avelazquez@igainc.com

About Retail Learning Institute/IGA Coca-Cola Institute

The IGA Coca Cola Institute is a people development organization supported by The Coca-Cola Company. The Institute is dedicated to providing a 250+ food retail specific course catalog and a full LMS (Learning Management System) service for retailers worldwide. As an educational organization, it serves more than 15,000 businesses with blended training programs that include onboarding, compliance, department/position, management and specialty courses. The Institute also provides retailers and associations with their own branded online corporate universities and tailored courses.