JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–John Hirabayashi said he can’t emphasize strongly enough to credit unions the importance of training staff to remain calm and do what a robber says when they are faced with a potentially life-threatening situation.
That staple of financial institution robbery training, said the CEO of Community First Credit Union, did as much as anything last Thursday to avoid anyone getting harmed during an incident in which an alleged robber held seven employees and six members hostage—at one point holding a gun to a person’s head.
“We train our staff to remain calm and to comply with the robber’s request,” said Hirabayashi. “In this case, that is exactly what happened and the situation worked out well.”
As CUToday.info reported, according to police at 9 a.m. on Thursday a 911 call was made from Community First Credit Union that a robbery was taking place. Police responded quickly, and after confirming there was a robbery in progress, a SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called. As many as 80 police officers responded.
SWAT Team Storms CU
SWAT team negotiators said the suspect, Nicholas Humphrey, asked for money and made demands for some family members to come to the credit union. In the process of negotiations, several hostages were released even as the suspect made threats toward other hostages, Sheriff Mike Williams said.
At one point Humphrey was distracted when two people, who were not identified by police, escaped the branch and made a run for it. That’s when SWAT team members stormed the credit union and put themselves between the gunman and the 13 hostages Williams said.
"We were able to take him into custody and save the lives of those hostages," said Williams about the two-hour standoff. "We were not only able to resolve it, but resolve it peacefully."
Hirabayashi said that the ordeal began when Humphrey entered the branch and fired one round into the ceiling and demanded money. He then told staff and members to go into a room in the back of the credit union.
But the CU’s manager, whose name Hirabayashi did not want to disclose, placed the 911 call and police arrived in minutes.
“Our branch manager handled herself exactly as we hoped she would,” said Jimmy Lovelace, VP of branches. “She was integral in maintaining her cool and keeping everyone else calm, as any good leader should. She maintained her composure in a difficult situation and it produced, in my opinion, the best possible outcome.”
CU Reopens
Shortly after the 911 call was made Hirabayashi learned of the incident via a text message from one of his staff. Hirabayashi said he left a meeting and immediately drove to the branch, where he and other staff members assisted authorities.
With the ordeal over, the Community First office reopened Monday after closing on Thursday and Friday. Most of the employees are back to work. Hirabayashi said the credit union’s employee assistance program has been offered to anyone who needs the service. Hirabayashi added that the incident was not a true robbery, in his opinion, as much as it was a mentally disturbed person looking for attention.
“He seemed more intent on drawing attention to himself and getting his family stirred up (than robbing the credit union),” Hirabayashi said.
But Hirabayashi was extremely concerned as soon as he got the message that something was wrong at the branch.
“Almost 15 years ago to the day (of Thursday’s incident) we had a robbery at the very same location,” said Hirabayashi. “So I am very sensitive whenever I hear of something that involves that office.”
Manage The Media
Hirabayashi credited his management team for keeping the rest of the staff informed and calm during the standoff. “They did a great job. They were very visible to the rest of our team. I think that is very important.”
Hirabayashi added that credit unions must be ready to manage the media when these types of incidents occur.
“It was a circus out there—media shoving microphones in the faces of our staff, inundating the credit union with calls. You have to have a strong PR function and a plan,” he said, noting that the credit union contracts with a media consultant who was immediately on the scene when news of the incident broke. “Credit unions don’t have to deal with these types of situations a lot. But when they do happen, you better be ready.”