When You’re the Top Cop and There’s a Mass Shooting
On June 12, 2016, the Orlando nightclub Pulse was the scene of the second worst mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history. Amid the chaos and bloodshed of that horrible night, the man who was then Orange County Sheriff set his personal feelings aside and focused on doing what had to be done.
Today, that man serves as the mayor of Orange County, Florida. When Jerry Demings was my guest on The Crossman Conversation, we talked about leadership in general, crisis leadership in particular, and what happened after he got the call that there was an active shooter situation in the world’s most popular vacation destination.
Mayor Demings epitomizes hands-on leadership. “I don’t lead from sitting in the office,” he said. “I like to get our into the field where the people are and hear the unfiltered concerns of our residents—and give input as well.”
In more than four decades of public service beginning as an Orlando Police officer, Mayor Demings has dealt with a variety of crises, including the three hurricanes that struck Orlando over a span of six weeks in 2004. He was Orange County’s Deputy County Administrator and Director of Public Safety at the time.
“As professionals, you’ll not get to be as good as you possibly can be until you have two things,” Mayor Demings said. “Number one, until you are well trained. Number two, until you have a lot of experience.”
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While nothing could prepare a human being for the emotional impact of the carnage at Pulse, then-Sheriff Demings had the training and experience to know what to do when he awakened by the call from the watch commander shortly after 2 a.m. on June 12. He kept his emotions under control and was dressed and on scene in less than an hour. Once there, he immediately began working with the Orlando Police Department (the agency in charge), coordinating with other agencies, deploying the resources of the sheriff’s office, and making sure that the other routine calls for law enforcement service were being handled.
You’ll want to listen to Mayor Demings tell the story of the Pulse massacre from his unique perspective. Go here to listen:
John Crossman is the founder of Crossman Career Builders, the host of The Crossman Conversation, and the author of Career Killers Career Builders. Check out Crossman Career Builders on YouTube. Connect with John on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.