Courses can help Nevadans deal with volatile situations

Kim Smith

Monday, Aug. 2, 1999 | 11:38 a.m.

The sad truth is, no one can predict when an irate and dangerous person will walk into an office and start shooting. But there are steps that can be taken to minimize the risks, Larry Dizon said.

Dizon worked in a pressure cooker for more than six years as a welfare fraud investigator for the state of Nevada. In 1995 he began giving stress management and violence in the workplace seminars to other state employees after Nevada purchased a North Carolina company's courses.

"I taught employees how to turn volatile situation into win-win situations," Dizon said. "The number one thing I told them is to let people vent their frustrations until it gets physical, that a lot of times, people just want to be heard."

It is important for people to remain calm and attentive, Dizon said.

"You need to act like you're paying attention even when you're thinking 'Where's the nearest exit and what's behind me?' " Dizon said. "When you can see the situation is getting out of hand, you also need to find some way to excuse yourself so you can call security or the police."

Explaining that you need to get a file is a useful tactic, Dizon said.

Keeping your desk and work areas clear of potential weapons is a good idea as well, Dizon said. Staplers and hole-punches can become just as deadly as the more obvious letter opener.

While it's obvious not everyone goes on killing sprees like Mark O. Barton, the Atlanta stock day trader who killed nine office workers last week and three family members, people are "exploding every day" under the stresses of everyday living, Dizon said.

"Violence can happen anywhere and when people loose their cool, nothing matters to them," Dizon said.

What was particularly scary about Barton is that news reports said he initially appeared cordial, Dizon said. Normally, people's eyes, facial expressions and body language will indicate potential danger.

It is exactly because of the Bartons of the world that business owners need to go the extra length to ensure their employees safety, Dizon said.

"You not only need a security person, but some sort of security fortress," Dizon said. "It's sad, but that's the way our society has turned out to be."

Las Vegas, Clark County and federal officials spoken to Friday each said they feel comfortable with the security measures in place in their respective work places. While no major incidents have occurred in any Las Vegas government buildings, they all said they were "knocking on wood."

"There is no unilateral way to stop someone intent on doing something, but we can certainly implement systems to deter that," said Mike Sheldon, who, as the city's chief deputy of detention and enforcement, is also responsible for the safety of city buildings and staff.

City marshals, video cameras, a panic alarm system and a system of access using picture employee identification cards are among some of the measures the city has taken to ensure security at City Hall and its satellite buildings, Sheldon said.

"We have cameras in the parking lot and at all of the ingress and egress points," Sheldon said. "There is no way someone can get access into City Hall without being recorded or seen in some way."

The cameras are monitored by staff members in a dispatch center and they notify marshals whenever a panic alarm is activated from within a city office or reception area, Sheldon said.

Response time is generally one to three minutes, Sheldon said.

"Through luck and those deterrents we haven't had any of those disturbances," Sheldon said. "Sometimes people get too loud and boisterous and sometimes we have people who are not in control of their faculties and act bizarrely, but we just escort them out" and refer them to the appropriate service agencies.

Don Thompson, Clark County assistant director of general services, said the Clark County Government building and its satellite offices have a security force made up of seven officers and a contingent of contracted security guards.

The officers are trained by the county and are unarmed, Thompson said.

"It's a soft security service, that's what it is," Thompson said. "We want these people to report what they see and hear. Typically, when someone represents authority people respond to that because they know if they don't, we will call the police. (Our measures) are soft, but they get the point across."

The county's courthouse has its own bailiff force and metal detector, Clark County Manager Dale Askew said. University Medical Center, which is owned by the county, has its own security force and often calls upon Metro Police for assistance.

Thompson said the county has tried to ensure safety and accessibility.

"Our public buildings are supposed to be public and if they weren't, I'm not sure this would be a place we would want to live in," Thompson said.

As for federal buildings in Las Vegas, Deputy U.S. Marshal Rodney Robinson said the federal courthouse is well protected by a contingent of U.S. marshals and court security guards.

The Alan Bible Federal Building, which houses such agencies as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Bridger Building, where U.S. attorneys work, have a contracted security force, Robinson said. Walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines are located in each.

The courthouse also has an alarm system in place and another privately-contracted security company to patrol the building's perimeter, Robinson said.

"I feel secure and I believe most people will tell you they feel secure, but that doesn't mean nothing can happen here," Robinson said. "Our goal is to make everyone as safe as they can be and to feel safe and we do our best to do that."

While threats have been made and people have been escorted out of the building, no major incidents have arisen, Robinson said.

"Arrests are rare," Robinson said. "Most people see the level of security and very rarely do we have problems."

Whether you are in your office, driving down the street or visiting an office or government building, the key is to maintain a low profile, Dizon said.

"Try to maintain your cool and avoid confrontation," Dizon said. "Don't do the stare thing. Just go on your merry way if you can because people are filled with hate today."