Some 50 people learned last week at a public forum how Westbrook police, fire and dispatch are training and preparing for active shooter situations.

The event at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center was hosted by Superintendent of Schools Marc Gousse and Police Chief Janine Roberts. The forum panel also included Deputy Fire Chief Steve Sloan and Director of Emergency Communications Greg Hamilton.

Roberts said the goal of the forum was to take a proactive approach to planning for emergency situations, informing the public of what their public safety departments are doing, and also how the community can help. A big part, Roberts said, is for the average resident to be aware of his or her surroundings and take note of anything out of the ordinary.

Roberts said an average of 20 active shooter situations occur in the country per year.

“I don’t think anyone here has all the answers, but we’d like to cultivate a sense of awareness of what we do, and maybe through forums like these we can identify things we haven’t thought of,” Gousse said.

Gousse said the school department hosts routine lockdown drills, but is also planning a larger drill for the spring, which may be an entire evacuation of the high school and transport to an alternative location. In recent years, the department has also instituted locked doors during school hours and other security measures.

The department also has an emergency alert system, which is used to update parents on school concellations.

However, Gousse said, the most important way to avoid or combat potential emergencies is through solid relationships in the community. He encouraged people to volunteer or get involved in a school or community organization.

He pointed out that the perpetrators of many school shootings are often disenfranchised or alienated by their community.

Roberts said residents should be aware of organizations like the Opportunity Alliance and other support programs.

“You may not tie in these types of relationships to an active shooter situation, but it part of defending against,” she said, adding that the community working together can connect people to needed services, such as mental health or substace abuse issues that could lead to violent acts.

However, Roberts also provided residents with tips on what to do during a crisis. These included reporting suspicious behavior, being aware of surroundings, having an exit plan, paying attention to heightened alerts, and knowing your neighbors and co-workers.

Sloan said the fire department spends thousands of hours each year in training, and conducts a yearly “mass casuality incident” training with departments from surrounding municipalities. He said if an incident were to take place in Westbrook, neighboring fire departments would respond.

“We are very well-trained for these incidents,” he said.

However, he said, during some of the most recent incidents, such as the Boston Marathon bombing, it has been the average resident who has stepped up to help victims prior to the arrival of first responders.

Hamilton said the dispatch department is constantly evolving. He also thanked Roberts for putting together the event.

“It’s nice that we have this forum to let folks know that we think about it. It’s what we do on a daily basis,” he said.

One of the highlights of the forum was the screening of a 5-minute video titled “Run, Hide, Fight,” which was recently produced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on how to survive an active shooter situation. The premise is: Run if you can; hide if you can’t run; and fight if all else fails.

Criticism of “Run, Hide, Fight,” including a New York Times column in December, has argued that humans are scientifically programmed to freeze during moments of danger.

Roberts said the video gives the average person ideas of how to react during such an emergency.

Questions from the public included how the departments stay up to date on training, communication between departments, how to use social media to update parents, and what steps are in place to prevent firearms from entering public buildings.

Westbrook state Rep. Drew Gattine thanked Roberts and Gousse for hosting the meeting, stating that it’s not a common occurance for a city to openly discuss the topic of active shooter situations.

“This is not really a naturally comfortable conversation to be having with the community, but I think sometimes those are the most important conversations to have,” he said.

State Sen. Anne Haskell, Mayor Colleen Hilton, and a number of city councilors and School Committee members were also in attendance.

The Westbrook Police Department, along with 30 other community partners, will also host the first public forum of the city’s heroin abuse initiative next week.

On Thursday, Jan. 21, the initiative will host a discussion on the many substance use challenges facing families in the city, and is hoping to solicit ideas, questions and involvement from residents. It will take place at the Westbrook Warren Congregational Church, 810 Main St., from 6-7:30 p.m.

Residents look on last week as Westbrook school and public safety officials discuss preparedness for active shooter or other violent acts during a public forum at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center.