Assignment task: The meeting with Roselynn ended at 11 a.m., and Marsha Cobourg went back to her office. Forty minutes later, as she glanced out her office door, she saw a man wearing dark glasses and a baseball hat burst into the bank. At the time, there were six bank employees and seven customers in the bank.
The man was waving a shotgun and yelling, "Everyone on the floor. Don't look up and don't try and stop me. No one will get hurt." He swore several times and ran to the cash station. "Open the drawer and give me the money." The bank representative at the cash station complied with his request, and in a matter of seconds the bank robber had run out the door.
Within a few minutes, the police arrived, as Marsha had pressed the silent alarm in her office. Everyone was told to remain calm, and the bank doors were locked. No new customers were allowed into the bank, and everyone present when the robbery occurred had to remain inside. Each customer was interviewed by the police. Marsha also asked each customer how they were. Three of the customers were very upset-one woman who was in the bank with her one-year-old son was particularly distraught.
A number of the bank employees were also visibly upset. Others seemed to take a deep breath and appeared ready to deal with the business at hand.
One customer commented on how the atmosphere in the branch had changed so rapidly. Prior to the robbery, everyone was relaxed and people were chatting.
During the robbery, there was extreme tension. Then, the aftermath of the robbery was very different-some people were in shock, some seemed emotionally drained, and others were trying to think through what had occurred. The customer also noted that while a number of the bank employees were terribly upset, they seemed in total control during the robbery: "It was like they knew what to do. I only caught a glimpse of what happened but there was no show of fear or panic on the employees' faces. It was almost like they were doing a drill, but in real life."
After about 45 minutes, the customers were permitted to leave the bank. As Marsha returned to her office, she received a phone call from the police notifying her that they had just arrested a suspect as he was preparing to rob another bank.
Discussion Questions:
1. Develop a safety training program for bank employees. What are the basic components of the program? What requirements would you build into such a program?
2. As a result of the robbery, a number of employees and customers may feel traumatized. What should the bank do in such a situation? Be sure to consider both short- and long-term suggestions.