Active Threat Response: CiHRG Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Presented by Sgt. Sean Ater
Patrol Sergeant, Champaign Police Department

Lunch served at 11:30 am, program starts at noon.
Please RSVP by Thursday the week prior

to ensure appropriate meal counts.

Presentation Description:

This training session delivers evidence-based tools, operational guidelines, and agency-approved protocols to enable participants to respond effectively and decisively during an active-threat incident.

The program also provides analysis of national statistical trends in active-threat events, with a strong emphasis on early identification and upstream prevention. Key learning objectives include:

• Recognition and interpretation of pre-attack indicators and leakage behaviors

• Application of the Pathway to Violence model

• Implementation of proactive reporting, assessment, and intervention strategies.

Presenter Bio:

Sergeant Sean Ater serves as a Patrol Sergeant with the Champaign Police Department, where he has been employed for more than 11 years.

Sergeant Ater is an Illinois Active Threat Master Instructor with over eight years of experience delivering specialized training in active-threat response to law enforcement personnel throughout the state.

In addition to his patrol and instructional duties, Sergeant Ater is the founder and Program Manager of the Safety Assessment Management and Mitigation (SAMM) Team—the first multi-jurisdictional behavioral threat assessment and management team in Illinois history dedicated to the intake, assessment, and mitigation of threats of targeted violence.

Event Location: CityView @ Illinois Terminal (In-Person) & Teams (Virtual)

For in-person attendance, arrive at the main entrance of Illinois Terminal (45 East University Ave, Champaign) and go left to take the elevators to the 4th floor. There is free parking to the east of the railroad tracks in the lot that is just south of Chester St. and west of Water St. If you choose this parking, you would walk under the viaduct on Chester St. to head to Illinois Terminal. However, you can also choose to pay for parking in the lot just outside of the terminal. 

This session will be eligible for both SHRM and HRCI Credits.

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