How to Respond to an Active Shooter
Just this week, there have been 15 mass shootings in the United States. These shootings were not concentrated in one state, rather they were dispersed throughout the country – from California, to Louisiana, to South Carolina, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Iowa and many more. These shootings cost the lives of eleven individuals, and around 80 others were injured. We are only two-thirds of the way through April, and there have already been over 140 mass shootings and 5 mass murders. Because of the current situation in the United States, you really should know what to do in the case of an active shooter.
Yes, it is a terrifying thought that any day you could find yourself in a mass shooting situation or active shooting, but what we have seen over the past four months in the U.S. is that as safe as you may feel on a day to day basis – anything is possible. There are numerous steps you can take to prepare yourself for the worst and be proactive in avoiding potentially dangerous situations.
Firstly – it is important that you are familiar with the most basic active shooter response plan: RUN – HIDE – FIGHT. At Evans Brothers Consulting, we believe it is imperative that all individuals be professionally taught this program in order to be given the proper tools if an active shooting were to occur.
RUN: The very first thing that you should do if you find yourself in an active shooting situation is to try to escape. Leave all belongings and focus on clearing out the area, regardless if others choose to follow. Call 911 and do not fall prey to the bystander effect in assuming someone else already called.
HIDE: You should hide silently in the safest place you can find. If there is an active shooter in close proximity, hide in an area that is not in the direct view of the gunman. When in the outdoors hide in a place that will protect you from gunfire, i.e. buildings, brick walls. If you are inside, you should always lock and barricade the doors and turn off the lights.
FIGHT: If you cannot RUN or HIDE safely and when your life is in immediate danger, fight. You should attempt to disrupt the shooter with physical aggression, whether that is throwing items at the shooter such as chairs or rocks or charging at them.
In each RUN-HIDE-FIGHT you should call 911 when it is safe to do so. Knowing the principle of RUN-HIDE-FIGHT will aid you in an active shooter situation, as it will be hard to think clearly under such stress and adrenaline.
The goal is to never be in a situation with an active shooter, and there are steps you can take everyday to keep yourself safe.
Be aware of your surroundings: It is easy to get distracted and miss suspicious activity, especially in highly familiar areas, but be sure to always know what is going on around you and take note of anything that appears out of the ordinary. Read our blog on how to respond to suspicious activity to prepare if you do see something off.
When entering a building or enclosed area – take note of the nearest exit and an additional exit as a backup if the closest one to you is blocked.
Memorize the phone numbers of loved ones in case you are in a situation where your cellular device is out of power, lost, or damaged
If your business is in need of active shooter training, Evans Brothers Consulting can be of assistance. We provide either virtual or hands on, interactive active shooter training that will ensure you and your employees know exactly how to react if the worst case scenario occurs. Unlike e-learning programs, our live active shooter training is engaging and interactive, and guarantees an innate response.
Take the initiative today and contact info@evansbrothersconsulting.com or call 617-545-1500 to set up a short, no-cost, preliminary discussion.
No one knows Boston like the Evans Brothers.