Training
BLUE ETHOS PROVIDES NORTHEAST METRO WORKERS WITH THE TRAINING NEEDED TO NAVIGATE AN ACTIVE THREAT
Just as the school year was getting underway in 2025, an unthinkable tragedy happened in south Minneapolis. A shooter opened fire on the Annunciation Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 others.
In December, a female welder at a manufacturing facility in Cokato, Minnesota, was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer by a man she worked with who didn’ t like her.
Fortunately, none of the businesses in the northeast metro has experienced the horror of a targeted attack or workplace violence, but because it could happen VHEDC wants to make sure the businesses it serves are pro-active. In early 2025, Blue Ethos Specialized Training was hired to provide Active Threat Preparedness Training for local businesses.
54 Northeast Metro Business
During the event, held on April 17, 2025, at the Buerkle Honda Event Center, participants learned how common violence in the workplace is and what to do if they encounter it.
“ We teach people about the concept of multi-option response. Get out if you can. If you can’ t get out figure out where you can actively barricade, and if you can’ t actively barricade, be prepared to act with aggression by using something called the OODAloop, which stands for observe, orient, decide and act, to distract or interrupt the attacker’ s process,” said Drew Moldenhauer, co-founder of Blue Ethos Specialized Training.
Moldenhauer is a former police officer who started up the company in 2020 with fellow former police officer Rich Webb. While their original plan was to train law enforcement professionals on active shooter techniques and de-escalation skills, after their first project fell into their lap they decided to instead offer trainings in the private sector.
“ One of my really good friends, who is a Realtor, asked if I had any interest in doing some work with Koch Trucking Company, which was looking for active threat and active shooter training for their company,” said Moldenhauer, who added that they scaled down the materials they had prepared originally so everyone from the secretary at the company to the salespeople could understand what they were talking about.
“ Instead of using police lingo, we talk about what happens to your brain in these fast-moving, high-pressure situations where every decision matters to help people with these real stressful incidents,” said Moldenhauer.