Active-shooter conference is Friday at YSU

YOUNGSTOWN — The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University presents the "It Didn't Have to Happen" active-shooter conference for business owners and school, hospital and government administrators from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

The conference will be in Williamson Hall on campus and features national and local experts discussing prevention and protection tools and techniques to help keep schools and workplaces safe.

Among the topics that will be discussed: Why active-shooter incidents are on the rise; a look inside the mind of an active shooter; diffusing aggressive situations; “How Did I Survive?: A True Encounter with Workplace Violence”; responsibility and liability in an aggressive incident at the workplace; how to assess your physical location for vulnerabilities; and developing a plan to prepare your workplace for the worst.

YSU President Jim Tressel will offer opening remarks.