Due to the recent standoff in St. Joseph at Motel 6 Northwest Health Services is urging businesses and individuals to have a plan in place just in case.

“What we did was kind of lock down the building just to kind of protect us,” said Cameron Corbet, Dir. of Development at NHS. “For us this time it was our Family Medicine Associates Building which was about a mile away from where the shooting had occurred at Motel 6.  It was just really important for us to make sure that our patients and our staff was safe.”

It was just one of many businesses within a mile of Frederick Ave. and I-29 that were forced to lock the doors Wednesday while law enforcement officials worked the 11-hour long standoff.  A section of I-29 was also shutdown to drivers due to the highway’s proximity to the motel and in the line of fire.

Corbet said it’s important for businesses and individuals to hold an active shooter training or know what to do if there is one in the area.

“The three things that law enforcement kinda tells us is you can run, you can hide and you can fight,” Corbet said. “A shooting incident is unpredictable and it can escalate pretty quickly and you never know who’s going to be targeted and it’s really important to have that preparations in place or have a plan in place.”

He recommends going to The Department of Homeland Security’s website to find out about Active Shooter Preparedness.