Rapid Responder Secures Davenport Hotel for High Profile Event
A March 2005 shooting in Atlanta left a judge and three others dead when an inmate escaped custody, grabbed a deputy’s gun, and opened fire in a county courthouse. Three months later, police were forced to shoot and kill a man who entered the Seattle federal courthouse with a hand grenade.
This rash of violent episodes involving judges and courthouses set the stage for the 2005 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in Spokane last July. The U.S. Marshals Service was charged with protecting the 1,200 delegates at the event, which included high profile figures such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, U.S. Circuit Judges, District Judges and Magistrates, U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Court Clerks and senior staff employees. The Marshals Service knew that preparation was the key to averting a potentially dangerous incident at the conference.
Acutely aware of the potential for disaster at a conference with high profile attendees, the U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington, Michael Kline, turned to Prepared Response, Inc., to assist with security at the event. Marshal Kline wanted to use the Rapid Responder system to digitally map the Spokane Convention Center, the venue for the conference, and the Davenport Hotel, where the delegates would be staying.
In June, members of Prepared Response converged on Spokane and began the process of digitally mapping and imaging the two large structures. The team, which had already mapped over 5,200 individual buildings for other clients, completed mapping of the 58,000 square-foot Spokane Convention Center and adjoining Opera House in just two days. The historic Davenport Hotel was even more involved because of the number of floors that make up the hotel. In addition to these two sites, a judge’s residence was also digitally mapped as a demonstration.
The team worked closely with three dozen federal officials and local emergency responders to acquaint them with the Rapid Responder system. The software can be learned in under 20 minutes, loads quickly on the responder’s laptop, and is extremely easy to use during a tense crisis situation.
During the conference, the federal security officers were able to use the database to view material that was pertinent to their monitoring efforts. The system helped emergency personnel in their response efforts in case an incident should occur.Marshal Kline said “The information was used for a comprehensive briefing as well as continued operation during the conference.” Excellent planning and preparation before and during the conference ensured a safe and risk free environment for the attendees.
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