Active Shooter Q & A

Sad and scary as it is to think about, we’re living in a time when the possibility of being involved in an active shooter incident is reality. With all the tragic events that have filled the headlines over the last few years, the need for active shooter training can’t be ignored. Although many of the shootings have taken place in schools, the harsh reality is that an active shooter can claim any location as their hunting ground.

As an employer, the safety of your employees and customers should be a top priority. If you are like most employers, if you’re like most people, you have a ton of questions about what you can do to prepare for a terrifying situation like this – and how you should react if you are ever caught in an active shooter incident.

But where do you start? We’ve answered some commonly-asked questions so you can be better prepared for a potential incident.

What Are My Options If I’m Involved in An Active Shooter Situation?

Essentially, your employees have three options in an active shooter situation:

1. Run

2. Hide

3. Fight

Choosing to run means safely evacuating the area and calling 911 as soon as it is safe to do so. If it’s not possible to evacuate safely, the next best option is to hide and stay quiet. Lock the door or block the entrance with a heavy object, silence your phone, and dim your screen. If you can’t escape or hide, you have to be prepared to fight. Use whatever’s around you as a weapon, throw things at the shooter, and work together with whoever is with you. Above all else, remember that you are fighting for your life.

What should I do if a friend or relative is involved in an active shooter incident?

If you know a friend or family member is involved in an active shooter incident, do not try to contact them until the active shooter is no longer active. This may go against your instinct, but you don’t want to call them and have their phone ringer accidentally go off while they’re hiding from the shooter. This puts them in more danger.

If they have contacted you and told you that there’s an active shooter in their area, tell them to silence their phone while you communicate with them. Call 911 and report it. If they’re in a safe hiding place, do not call them – texting is ok if their phone is silent. Find out as much information about the situation as possible so you can relay it to the police – the location, how many shooters, how many people are in the area, what kind of weapon the shooter has, etc.

Why Should We Invest Resources to Prepare for Such an Unlikely Event?

You may think that the odds of an active shooter attacking your place of employment are slim to none. Most people subscribe to this train of thought because thinking about the reality of an active shooter makes it too terrifying to go to work or function optimally when there. However, as we have seen time and time again, active shooters do not discriminate. They have spent countless hours formulating their plan – and they intend to see it through, no matter what.

Providing training for an active shooter situation will give your employees an added layer of confidence and a stronger sense of security. With that peace of mind, they can focus on their jobs and be productive. Investing in active shooter training is just that: an investment.

What Can Be Done to Prepare for an Active Shooter?

Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly so it’s important to give your employees the information they’ll need to react accordingly. Added security measures aimed at prevention, like hiring security guards and offering self-defense classes, are not uncommon but the top three things you can do are:

1. Clearly identify at least two possible evacuation routes

2. Practice your evacuation and response plan once a year

3. Maintain up-to-date emergency contact information for all employees to provide to local authorities if necessary

What is the best way to help the authorities do their job in an active shooter event?

During a life or death situation, many people want to help the authorities do their job so that as many people survive the event as possible. There are a few things you can do to ensure the authorities’ success:

1. Do exactly as they tell you, even if it means leaving another person behind. If you argue with them, you’re taking up valuable time that they could use for apprehending the shooter.

2. First responders are most interested in stopping the active shooter, not stopping to save a life. Do not stop their progress – even if someone is injured, stay out of the way and follow directions.

3. When you see the police, do not make any sudden movements and keep your hands visible. The police will be on high alert, and it makes their job easier if you make it clear you’re not a threat.

Training and practice are critical when it comes to being prepared for an active shooter incident, or any emergency situation. Due to an increase in the number of active shooter and workplace violence incidents across the United States, most schools conduct training and drills to prepare students and staff for what to do if an armed intruder should enter the building – businesses like yours should prepare as well.