Special to The Trussville Tribune
TRUSSVILLE – Do you have a plan in the event of workplace violence? Carol Dodgen of Dodgen Security said you should have one. Dodgen was the featured speaker at the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) monthly luncheon, and spoke on the topic of workplace violence and security.
The luncheon was held on Thursday, June 16, at the Trussville Civic Center and was sponsored by ServPro of Birmingham.
The first known incidence of workplace violence was in 1986. ‘Crazy Pat’ had been reprimanded for his performance at the U.S. Post Office where he worked. That’s when he came in one day and shot those responsible for his poor evaluation. There are different motivations, Dodgen said, and no set profile. Shooters usually give some kind of clues in advance of an attack, and usually people are not surprised when they find out who is responsible for an attack.
According to Dodge, four types of workplace violence include: criminal violence (no relationship between the shooter and the victims); customer/client violence (the business previously provided a product or service); employee/employer violence (employer condones or is perceived to condone discriminatory treatment); and domestic violence (the fastest growing category and the one that has the biggest ripple effect).
“Hopefully you’ll never need a plan,” Dodgen said, “but if you have to stop and think about what you would do, you’ve probably missed your opportunity to stop it.”
The chamber also recognized its June Customer Service Award recipient. The nominator had this to say: ‘We just had the most pleasant visit we’ve ever had at ANY Taco Bell—or probably any fast food restaurant, for that matter. I cannot get over how sweet Winona Bryant was and how well she treated every single customer who walked into the restaurant. She even made a point to pay very close attention to our two-year-old, who really enjoyed being treated like a big kid. It is obvious Winona takes great pride in her job. Not to mention the whole staff was wonderful and polite, too. All restaurants should follow this fine example.’
For more information about the chamber, please visit www.trussvillechamber.com, call the chamber at (205) 655-7535, ‘like’ us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.