The FBI recently released its data on active shooter Incidents
in the US for 2018. Although there was a
slight drop in active shooter events to 27 from a high of 30 in 2017, this is still
no cause for celebration. Schools,
parks, restaurants and offices continue to be vulnerable targets for multiple reasons. However, in the
past two years, 13 of the active shooters were taken on by witnesses and even students, who inadvertently found themselves positioned to
be a “first responder.”
Schools and businesses across the country are taking steps to
prepare for an active shooter by conducting drills, table-top exercises and
more. But these are preparations every
single organization and family should conduct. How do I communicate to others that there is
an active shooter in the area? Where can
I establish a safe space to protect myself and others? Should I use a restroom, conference room or
custodial closet? How can I exit a
building through a window? What can I
fight back with: throw pots and pans, hymnals in
church, maybe cleaning supplies, or even a fire extinguisher?
After the Columbine High School massacre that took place on
April 20, 1999 law enforcement training for such situations changed drastically. They developed training called ALICE —
Alert, Lock down, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.
The goal is to disrupt the shooter, giving them as few opportunities as
possible to hit their marks. Mentally,
he’s going through a whole different process.
He’s thinking about what you are doing to him, not what he’s doing to
you. If you can move him from offense to
defense, you have changed the outcome of the event.
Those who use the training properly will alert those around them
about the impending danger, lock down the room to keep the gunman away, inform
law enforcement of the situation, counter the shooter's efforts by throwing
objects at them or shooting back if armed, and then evacuate the area as
soon as possible.
Thinking through issues like this in your workplace, school, or
house of worship will give people the confidence to be victors—not victims. In any active shooter situation, most of us
are taught to run, hide and barricade ourselves in a secure location until
authorities settle the situation. Sure, this may work most of the time in most
environments, like the unfortunate UCLA campus shooting, but in the case of
Orlando — people packed in a dark, crowded and enclosed space with very few
exits — running and hiding can only take you so far.
The decision to fight back must be a conscious one. New Yorker Mark Pinnavaia made such a decision
when he drove his car into an active shooter and then chased him on foot. His comment afterward? “I wasn’t going
to be a victim.” That is exactly the
training mantra which needs to be spread throughout the United States, “I won’t
be a victim.” Maximizing survival in an
active shooter event is mostly about thinking through how you should react to a
dangerous situation. The Department of Homeland Security has made it simple: Run,
Hide, and Fight. However, there are many other aspects which you should
think through as an individual, as a parent, a store-owner or even a
student.
When a student pulled out a gun in a classroom in Highlands Ranch,
Colorado, Kendrick Castillo and several classmates tackled the shooter,
allowing others to flee. Eight of his classmates were wounded and Castillo was
killed in the struggle, but he is hailed a hero by all. Just down the hall from Kendrick Castillo,
sixth grader Nate Holley, grabbed a baseball bat and prepared to defend his
classroom from the same shooter, saying, “I was going to go down fighting if I
was gonna go down.” In 2018, five of the 27 active shooter incidents were
ended by our neighbors, who chose to stand up and fight. Their actions and heroism saved countless
lives, while risking and even sacrificing their own.
The best weapon for surviving any shooter situation, first and foremost,
is the right mindset. There are three rules for any dangerous situation, you
need to run, you need to hide, or you need to fight. Running and hiding
may be the first instinct for most people, but people can also fight by
preparing themselves for the worst ahead of time. It’s not about being paranoid, it’s about
being prepared.
To increase your chances of survival, you first need to arm your
brain with two skills we’ll call “situational awareness” and “critical
thinking” — two plain words that could end up saving your life. These two skills will more than likely get you
out of a situation versus a person that has their face in their cell phone and
their earbuds in listening to their iPod.
Modern technology has made us unaware and decreased the most critical
skill to general survival — awareness. With
situational awareness, you extend your radar to pick up on what’s going on
around you far beyond just your personal space.
Whenever you enter a building or a room take a walk around or what
we call a perimeter sweep. Look for any exits and tuck that away in your
subconscious. Then do a couple of scenarios
in your head. Then you set it in your mind,
and then relax and have a great time. A critical
thinker is a person who can look at a situation, understand what is going
on and predict what could happen, then logically choose the best option to keep
themselves alive. Every situation you
find yourself in is different, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses,
but only you can choose what is best for you.
The FBI report sums up what Americans need to understand as the
path forward, “it is vital that citizens be afforded training so they
understand the risk they face and the options they have available.” The very first “first responders” are not
wearing a uniform—they are us.
We need to be prepared!
Be Safe!
Russ Sharrock
Be Safe!
Russ Sharrock
I have made available to anyone interested a FREE series of Do-it-Yourself
forms that can be printed for your use:
1) A Safety & Security Risk Assessment form.
2) Church Emergency Plan Template
3) General Fire Safety Checklist
4) A Bomb Threat Checklist
5) A Bomb Threat Distance chart for various types of explosive
devises to be referred to in the event of a bomb threat evacuation. These
are minimum distances to evacuate away from the area of blast.
They’re Word documents so you can make any changes necessary to fit
your church size and needs. I will be adding new forms as time
allows.
For a copy of any of the FREE Do-it-Yourself forms, or if you have any
questions, you can contact me at:
Integrity
Security Consulting
Russ
Sharrock
405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment