In wake of Cascade Mall shooting, Bellis Fair continues focus on training

The shooting at the Cascade Mall in Burlington is an unfortunate reminder that a similar incident can happen anywhere, so malls like Bellis Fair are continuing to work on ways to improve the safety for shoppers and workers.

While Bellis Fair doesn’t disclose how its security system works, general manager Rene Morris did say they continually train for many different scenarios, including a situation involving an active shooter.

The mall holds several training sessions with retailers each year, including one that was held a few weeks ago that focused on alerting someone when noticing something unusual, Morris said.

Over the weekend, Morris said, Bellis Fair had extra law enforcement and mall security in the area, mostly as a way to assure customers that safety is a top priority.

“Our shoppers were most appreciative,” Morris said.

The training and reviewing of security measures will continue, but now with the Cascade Mall shooting in mind.

“Our hearts go out to Skagit County and Cascade Mall employees during this very difficult time,” Morris said.

This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 1:27 PM with the headline "In wake of Cascade Mall shooting, Bellis Fair continues focus on training."