Unfortunately, active shooter incidents are becoming more common in today’s society, and it is important for individuals and organizations to have a plan in place to prevent and respond to these situations. Here are some tips for active shooter prevention and response:
Active Shooter Prevention:
- Create a culture of safety: Encourage employees or individuals to report any concerns or suspicious behavior to authorities.
- Conduct threat assessments: Identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in your environment and take measures to address them.
- Develop an emergency action plan: Prepare a plan for responding to an active shooter situation and regularly conduct drills to ensure everyone is prepared.
- Train employees: Provide active shooter training and education to employees or individuals on how to recognize and respond to an active shooter situation.
Response:
- Run: If possible, evacuate the area and leave your belongings behind. Help others evacuate if possible, but do not stay behind to assist others if it puts your life in danger.
- Hide: If you cannot evacuate, find a secure hiding location and lock or barricade the door. Turn off lights, silence phones, and remain quiet.
- Fight: If you cannot evacuate or hide, and the shooter is nearby, be prepared to defend yourself. Use any available objects as weapons and attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
Remember to stay calm and alert during an active shooter situation and follow the instructions of law enforcement when they arrive on the scene.
Everyone is a Potential First Responder
It is estimated that 54% of active shooter scenarios are over in less than five minutes. Safety Forces are no longer designated as the first responders, every potential victim should be educated and trained to be the absolute first responders in these crucial situations during Active Shooter incidents.
Timothy Dimoff’s presentation will explain how research/experience has caused demand to “shift” Active Shooter Training from a traditional “lockdown” only approach to a combination of A.L.I.C.E, Homeland Security Training, and SACS Consulting Research with proven techniques from real-life scenarios, including:
- How security assessments identify life-threatening vulnerabilities
- Prevention and preparedness scenarios
- What can be done to reduce risk and increase the survival rate
- Training with proven options with an emphasis on survival
- Learning techniques to delay/prevent aggression and reduce risk