ACTIVE SHOOTER SAFETY TIPS

These tips may save your life some day. Below are my personal notes from attending an active shooter preparedness training in 2016.

Emergency Preparedness Training Opportunity:

Active Shooter Demonstration

By Sgt. Matt Young, Sacramento Police Department

-Prepare in advance so that you are emotionally and mentally equipped to survive an active shooter incident.

            -Think in advance of how you could escape, where you might hide, what you could use as a makeshift weapon.

-60% of all active shooter situations are resolved before the police arrive on the scene. So in most cases, you are on your own.

            -If police do arrive, do as they say and keep your hands up so they know you do not have a weapon and are not the shooter.

-Report suspicious activity. Don’t let fear of stereotyping someone or political correctness keep you from reporting suspicious activity.

            -See Something, Say Something, Do Something.

-There has been a 150% increase in Active Shooter events from 2006-2013. So these types of incidents are likely to continue to occur.

-32% of Active Shooter incidents are ended by bystanders/victims. So you do potentially have an important role to play.

-If you find yourself in an Active Shooter situation, quickly determine what is the most reasonable way to protect your own life.

-In the medical community we are often taught and believe that the patient’s needs must always come first. In an Active Shooter situation, your first priority should be your own safety. If you do not survive this incident, you will not be around to care for this patient or future patients.

-In an active shooter situation, you have 3 options:

            1) RUN: get out/evacuate. Call 911 from a safe location and provide as much information to law enforcement as you can.

                        -Again, spend some time thinking about how you would escape if an active shooter event happened at your workplace, at your mall, at the movie theater, etc.

            2) HIDE: Once hidden, if possible, prevent the shooter from being able to enter your location by barricading the doors. Silence your cell phone. Remain quiet.

                        -Again, prepare in advance by thinking of places at work where you could hide. When you are out in public, observe places that could serve as good hiding spots.

            3) FIGHT:  Have a plan of attack. Involve everyone who is hiding with you. The more people involved the easier it may be to stop the shooter. Attempt to incapacitate or overwhelm the shooter. Use aggression. Commit to your actions. Improvise weapons. Don’t stop until the shooter is dead.

-Remember, the shooter’s goal is violence. He or she wants you dead, so don’t stop until the shooter is dead.